I love them, but have never tried them because they aren't hardy, and I don't have space to bring them in.

Good luck to you though!

I have grown crepe myrtle in the past when I lived in Louisiana and in Washington DC. I think that you are probably giving them too much fertilizer. They are actually a pretty low maintenance tree. Also, they need lots of sun to bloom well.

However in the long run I think that you would be better off switching to something that will actually grow in your climate. Lilacs, for example are wonderful, don't grow well in the south, but probably would do well where you are (if you have enough sun for crepe myrtles. I miss my gardenia hedge, but know better than to try to replicate it here in NY!

Thank you both! Swipersmom, sun is a problem. I've tried different areas of the yard, moving them to get maximum sun. I found a spot where they get bout 2hrs of early morning sun and roughly 3hrs afternoon sun, evening sun is spotty cause of trees in the way. 2 of the trees are a ''hardy'' variety of crepes and they're the ones that I've seen the most growth on. I still plan on bringing them in under light all winter though. I guess I gotta move back to Virginia lol!

Maybe there is hope.

There was a post on the cottage garden forum about someone growing this in zone 5 in missouri.

See link:

Here is a link that might be useful: cottage gardens forum - cm trees

I have not been sucessful in growing crepe myrtles in the ground...they do not survive the long sub-zero winters of Central NY...but I am growing them in very large pots which I bring inside in October and keep them in an unheated enclosed front porch that gets enough warmth from my home to always stay above 30 degrees F. You must not let the soil freeze solid in the pots durring the winter or the roots will die. I keep a digital thermometer with the pots to tell me if the temperature is too cold....If I see that sub-zero temps are predicted, I plug in a heating mat the pots are resting on. The exposed branches of the plants can take temperatures of near zero but the roots are not hardy much below freezing (32 degrees F.) In late April...after the chance of any severe freezes is past (light frosts are OK) I move the pots outside and work in a little fertilizer and trim back any broken or dead branches.. The plants need full all day hot sun in order to grow and produce flower buds....they love the heat..the more .days over 90 degrees the better! They especially like to be in front of a hot, sunny south-facing wall. The plants bloom later up here than in the South..usually starting in August but will continue until the frost. They like being watered with a liquid acid-plant food once a week durring the summer. The plants will show autumn color in the fall...but must be brought inside before the night temperatures drop below 25 degrees...you don't want the soil to freeze in the pots. My crepe myrtles are in bloom right now..its AUGUST 2nd. My favorite varieties are Dynamite (bright red) and Pink Velour.(rose) The plants are about 4 to 5 feet tall and very bushy.