No sun, unless you will have them under mist. They need to be under a humidity chamber of some sort...soda bottle or baggie if you don't have mist. Take the cuttings of this years growth. Cut it all the way down to where it joins a larger stem. I cut mine into several pieces that have 4 nodes...remove two bottom leaves. Wound by taking a really thin sliver of skin/bark off of each side, but not damaging the nodes. Dip in hormone powder..shake off excess...tap it good. Stick them in damp(not soggy) potting soil - perlite mix and cover with a soda bottle with no lid on it. I think it is too hot out of doors right now, so I would put them near a North window or under flurescent light. As long as you can see condensation inside the bottle or bag there is enough moisture in the soil. Some kinds of lights will be too hot, but flurescent can be 3-4 inches about the bottle or bag without over heating. They may well root without it in a bright window with no direct sunlight to heat them up. I have rooted them inside as late as end of Oct., but then you have a wintering over problem....well, in zone 8 that may not be a problem, come to think of it. LOL

Wilting and dying could be because they were too immature/soft. If you bend the stem and it snaps, it is "ripe" enough for good propagation. Tips that are still growing might not be that ripe...could this be the problem? Maybe you tried to start too early or just used tips while they were still growing. If it bends and sort of crushes, it is too soft. OK?

This may help answer some questions.

Here is a link that might be useful: Crape Myrtle propagation

Thanks for the info. I shall try one last time...

Hmmm... I have cut some more but now I am wondering if all those suckers coming from the roots can be transplanted and grow into new bushes as well.

Any experience with moving the suckers? I'm trying to get all that I can from these bushes.

Thanks, Kathy

Great link. I plan on trying some suckers here soon. I have had no probelms using hardwoood cuttings in the fall.

My best recommendation is to NOT use potting soil but instead use a perlite/peat moss mix. You can buy it premixed or buy bulk and mix your own. I think you will find much better results.