They look like seed heads to me. We have dead headed a couple of ours to make them bloom again this summer.

Definitely a seed head (or whatever they call it, it won't bloom again). And you can remove it and maybe get a second bloom for the summer but you don't have to. I have some crepes that are really tall and I can't get all the seed heads off the very top and it doesn't seem to hurt anything in the long run. It is very much an aesthetic choice.

I'm no expert but I find that the ones that are about to flower will be pure and bright green and smaller than the ones that are finished.

They are my favorite trees too! I think I have 9 or ten of them. :)

Melissa

This post was edited by gardencpa on Sun, Jul 14, 13 at 15:26

Thank you, Melissa. Glad to know that it's not necessary to remove them because my trees are pretty big. I do love them and they have been exceptional this summer. The Natchez is shedding its bark this year and looks awesome. I think this fall we need to trim it up a bit. It gets so bloom laden the branches weep to the ground. Love how the fallen blooms make me think of snow!

I know just what you mean. Pink snow, white snow, purple snow!

I did some strategic pruning on mine last fall and it has made a big difference this year. I cleaned up the branches that were crossing, opened them up in the center some, cleared out the suckers and gave some real thought to how I wanted the trees to look. All but one turned out just how I wanted.

I have a new Natchez white that I just planted last year and I cannot wait to see how it does next. I like its shape but am looking forward to it gaining some height.

Good luck!

Melissa

Here is the Natchez. I planted it Mothers Day 2008. It was in a 7 gallon pot and only took about 2 years to reach this size. Wish I would have thought to get a picture a couple of weeks ago. It was loaded!

Very nice! My Natchez is much smaller but I do have another white something or another that blooms like that. I tried to get some pictures a while back but they were washed out in the sun. This was probably the best of all of them.

Beautiful! Are those zinnias? I have no luck at all with them and they remind me of my mothers house in Ohio when I was a child. Love what I can see of your cottage garden. Thanks for sharing!

Yes, they are zinnias and they reseed every year but they get very spotty with fungus as soon as they reach full height. In this picture they hadn't started doing it yet but they look pretty terrible right now. The flowers look ok but the leaves are a mess.