Myrtle and ivy are common choices, but we're particularly fond of rosemary.
From the courier-journal.com
You no doubt have a common crape myrtle variety, which is highly susceptible to powdery mildew, a disease that causes the bud drop to which you refer.
From the dailynews.com
Hybrid crape myrtle cultivars, bearing the names of American Indian tribes, are mildew resistant and may be used as replacements for the more common crape myrtle types.
From the dailynews.com
With its fleshy green leaves, yellow flowers and low, spreading growth pattern, myrtle spurge is a common ground cover in residential rock gardens and Xeriscapes.