Great Design Plant: Crape Myrtle

Dirt Digger Becky...so glad you mentioned crape murder! I am from the Dallas area and most people do it and then it forms these ugly "knuckles" over time where it has been pruned and ruins the beautiful shape....might also add that it will eventually kill the tree.

Becky Harris Dirt Digger, "knuckles" is the perfect way to describe it. I think people are finally coming around and learning not to do that - I don't see it as often as I did ten years ago. Keep spreading the word ;)

clouseferrer How surprising to see my least favorite landscape plant featured ... Here in South Florida they have overdosed on crepe myrtles and they are everywhere. While the blooms are nice, I can think of at least ten other species with great blooms minus the mess and bare branches for most of the year. Sorry to be a downer but research this plant well before you plunk it in your yard.

Becky Harris It never surprises me that people have different opinions than my own. What does surprise me is how many people seem to find deciduous trees inconvenient just because they drop their leaves and sometimes pods. What I love about this tree is how it changes with the seasons - I appreciate different aspects of it depending on the time of year - it's my second-favorite bare deciduous tree in winter. Perhaps it's because I was raised up north where about the only evergreen trees we had were coniferous.

Dirt Digger I agree, Becky...my mother, who was from Pennsylvania, called them "crap myrtles"! I, on the other hand love them...just goes to show you that one person's trash is another person's treasure...it would be so boring if we were all the same!

Iyare I I love crape myrtles!!! I live in Dallas as well and being originally from the East Coast, I was very excited that it was something I could finally add to my landscape so I planted a few in my backyard. They havent reached their full potential and I hope as they get bigger, they dont get overwhelming.

ezreader49 As a recent transplant to Georgia from Pennsylvania, I was eager to plant a few crepe myrtles in my yard. My landscaper, who knows infinitely more than I about choices here in the south, prunes the crepe myrtles in February. To me, it looks like he just cuts the tops off at a height of about 6 feet, looks like a "flat top" haircut. He said each year he will allow the top to get a little higher, but still pruning it in the same "flat top" manner. How long should he do that, and at what point does he stop pruning the tops off? I want these trees to grow taller. Thanks for any advice.

1956 These look like the pride of india in south africa, have you any idea if this is so--Avid gardener jill

bnpbaku Having grown up in Big D and having lived in Malaysia and now France I LOVE the Crepe Myrtles, but lately I have been leaning toward the sentiment of clouseferer and dirtdigger's mum because the silly one I planted about 8 years hardly flowers more than 2 or 6 full blooms if that. What am I doing wrong? Thanks.....Oh I have 6 opening buds just now, BTW.

merrynunnari LOVE crepe myrtles. Thanks for this feature.

Casart Coverings Becky mentioned the year-round display of the crape myrtle. I love the way the leaf color echos all the colors of fall and gives a splendid show during that time of year. They are very hardy, too. Some of mine were butchered by a neighbor's fallen tree during Hurricane Isaac. Within a week they had sprotted new growth as if it was springtime!

patricia beharry I love crepe myrtles. The only negative I have is the Japanese Beatles that invade every year.

mdplandscape To 'bnpbaku', the question that comes first to mind is, how much sun does your Crape receive? Second is, do you prune it, and if so, when is that typically done? Finally, has it gotten annual and adequate applications of a slow-release, balanced fertilizer?

To 'clouseferrer', I am in the Florida panhandle, and we are also inundated with Crapes. Plants, like fashion, come and go with current fads. The State DOT, as well as our local municipalities, used them everywhere for a time. But like their love affairs with Sycamores, then Bradford Pears, the fervor has now cooled.

For the same reason that a high-energy Border Collie might not be the best choice for a Manhattan apt., you should use such a tree where its positives can be appreciated.

Yes, they drop leaves and pods, and even "spit" on anything beneath their canopies. Armed with that knowledge, just stay well away from surfaces you want kept clean, such as pooldecks and driveways. Used within a landscape bed, or along a perimeter, they can do their thing without getting on anyone's nerves!

"The right plant, in the right place" is the FNGLA's motto for good reason.

Anita I do love them when they are planted in the correct spot. My sister has beautiful white ones on either side of her walkway. Mine are too close to the house and put out way too many volunteers. I have a hard time keeping them under control. Any ideas?

ZH Design I love to use crape myrtles as beautiful accent trees in my designs here outside the Philadelphia region. I know the article says they are a zone 7, but there are several cultivars in my experience that are exceptionally hardy in our zone 6 climate that I haven't had any complaints about and I don't hesitate to put in a garden. They are perfect for a small specimen because of their bark and branch habit as much as they are a flowering tree. They bloom in PA when not much else is happening in the garden. The smaller varieties are perfect for mixed borders too!

bnpbaku to: mdplandscape. Thanks for the advice. I prune in autumn, when the silly thing has finished it's 1-4 blossoms. I only prune about 2-3 feet from the ends. I do feed in spring a general flower bed food. I think the morning sun that it misses may be the problem?? What do you think. Sun hits it about 11 am....again thanks so very much.
bnpbaku

1956 To bnpbaku: are your trees getting at least 6 hrs of sun a day,? regards 1956

hellokatie Crape Myrtles have been my favorite tree for all my life (here in Central VA). I love the brilliant hues, and the bark in wintertime -- heaven! The cinnamon bark adds just a lovely touch of spice to the winterscape. Yes, they do drop petals and pods, so don't put them right next to the sidewalk... but put some lovely ground cover under them, let them arch and spread, and wow! Beautiful! Some locals call them 100-day trees because of the proliferation of blooms. For some reason, my pinks start their 100 days in August, go figure, so that even now in early October, I have lovely pink blooms. So happy in the golds of autumn.

olldroo This seems to be a plant that people either love or hate. I have a few areas in my garden that need deciduous trees for protection from the strong summer sun but to enjoy the winter sun. A crepe myrtle just appeared in one of them and is filling the void beautifully. It is fast growing too and just this week the colourful spring foliage appeared. I find the leaves of deciduous trees usually break down very quickly and by leaving them around the tree provide excellent mulch.

specter We just moved out of a home with a crape myrtle taller than the one you included! I wish I had a good picture of it now!

Crapes are awesome but beware of the shade zone underneath the bigger varieties. I can leave quite a large muddy area underneath unless you pick a shade tolerant grass.

Bowden Carroll Design I have a crepe myrtle in my front yard in arid Arizona and I look forward to the arrival of the fresh green leaf buds every year and the explosion of color that follows

azbunny Our crape myrtle (planted by previous owners) is thriving in a small area of our Tucson patio. I feel that it should only be pruned after it blooms in the spring; however, it's now Oct. and looks gangly. Will spring flowering by affected if it's lightly pruned now?

ezreader49 Bunny: My landscaper just trimmed some of the unsightly bottom branches that branch off the base of the plant. He said he'll be back in February to trim the rest of the tree.
HTH

micknatus To bnpbaku. I had the same issue with my white crape myrtles not blooming. Last fall, I nixed the fertilizer, as my dogwood won't bloom when fertilized either. However, I did add random banana peels under the mulch late winter, early spring. If you are in a dry area, you may want to water them, but not get water on the foliage if you can help it. Good luck!

olldroo bnpbaku - don't know if lack of morning sun would be the problem. When mine was small it got no morning sun and still flowered beautifully. It seems to grow 2 -3 feet a year and is now above the fence that was keeping it in shade and flowers just the same.

Check out this website for some clues http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/trees-shrubs/crepe-myrtle-not-blooming.htm

cyn222 The south is notorious for crepe murder. It's such a beautiful tree and I wish people would realize it does not need pruning with chain saws!

olldroo Some people just like to get a buzz out of everything !!