Hi, Rockman, and welcome to the Ok Gardening Forum. I used to work on the South Shore - East Weymouth. Loved everything about my Mass. experience. It is a beautiful, historic place.

There are newer varieties of Crape Myrtle that are a zone (at least) hardier than Muskogee. Have you planted with as much sun as you can possibly get? These are heat and sun loving shrubs/trees.

While some Oklahoma growers may experience some dieback of top growth this year, it can be pruned back to good tissue and regrow just fine.

I've attached an article by Dr. Carl Whitcomb, one of the leading experts on Crape Myrtles, who has done much work in breeding new hardier varieties, varieties with more disease resistance (mildew), and some that are red flowering, which was a totally new color for Crapes. There are a couple hardy to zone 6, too.

He talks about winter care for your Crape and other maintenance and care instructions for Crapes in general.

You might one day want to check out a nursery here in Oklahoma that sells online, too. Sooner Plant Farm carries a lot of the newer varieties.

Hope this helps!

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Article by Dr. Carl E. Whitcomb

Thanks Susan. The local nursery was selling the Muskogee, so that is what I bought. But I know there are more hardy varieties. I do have it planted in full sun with full southern exposure in an enclosed patio area with the protection from wind on all sides but the south side. So, it is in the warmest possible microclimate. So far so good. It is getting large and growing vigorously. If it bites the dust, I will search for a more hardy variety. It is too bad that nurseries in SE Mass have not yet figured out that some hardier varieties exist that could be useful in our area.

Even if it freezes back, It should rebound from the roots very rapidly. Even here in north east Oklahoma, we have crape myrtle freeze back every few years, but they come back strong. I recorded 12 below zero here and I expect several of my crapes will have to be cut back....

Rockman, we complain all the time that our nurseries, and especially the big box stores, carry plants that are unable to tolerate our heat, like Delphiniums and many conifers, for example. Unsuspecting people buy them, though, because they're pretty and they don't know any better and they certainly don't realize, until it's too late, that they will succumb as soon as the temps reach 80 and above. Our summers generally run above 90 degrees and are just too hot for a lot of your Northern beauties. Oh, what I would give to grow Lupines!

Susan