how big of a transplant ....

when planted last SUMMER ... how was it watered ...

is there a warranty .. if so.. talk to seller ... or installer ....

over various posts.. its apparent.. that zones vary wildly this year.. as to when and where its warm early .. so hard to tell you about your unknown specific location ... but its not a good sign if everything else appears active in your area... though you dont specifically mention local CMs ...

ken

Thank you for your comments. It was a new, young tree, planted by a landscaper along with some shrubs he chose for us. We did exactly as he instructed and watered the roots thoroughly several times a week until the cold weather arrived. It looked fine in the summer/fall. Now there are little dried brown buds at the top of some of the branches and no leaves at all. I am in Essex Co., NJ. What is a CM? (I'm pretty new to all this)

CM=crape myrtle.

Crapes tend to leaf out later than most other woodies. If it has been a cold winter and spring, that will delay bud break even more. Not all varieties break bud at the same time, I have a couple that are green when most others are brown. And to compound the frustration, dormant buds are small and dry looking, and wood beneath the bark tends to not be very green even when alive, and small branches tend to be brittle, all give the impression of a dead plant to the uninitiated. Patience may be needed, but as Babs said, crape roots are hardier than tops. Look for sprouts at the base of the plant by late May/early June if nothing appears on the top. Remove any dead wood as soon as you see green. Not all varieties are equally hardy.

All the crape myrtles around me are leafed out!

Tlbean,

My mother lives 30 miles north of me, in the same gardening zone. Almost everything in my yard is 2 weeks ahead of hers. What I'm saying is that what's happening in your area has no bearing on what's happening for OP, as far as spring bud break, unless you happen to be neighbors.

Note that I've no opinion on the health of these trees, as I have no experience with them.

I had to respond to your post ASAP because I was afraid you'd do something harsh..., like cut them down. Stop worrying about your Crape Myrtle!! First of all they are typically LATE in a NORMAL year. This year was not normal as if you recall, March was colder than December, January or February. Then too, you're are in eastern Zone 6b (which means due to the Atlantic the season runs a bit behind interior zone 6b climates. I am also in NJ/Zone 7a. If it makes you feel any better, none of mine have leaves or have budded either at this point. The Crape Myrtles below have been in my yard for multiple years..., including after those two years of "polar vortices". They may start up late in NJ but they also go later into the season than in other (interior Zone 6b/7 climates). Mine have a bit of a microclimate on the south side of the house with sun all day, but still, I have had them in bloom till NOVEMBER!

Above, Dwarf Hopi in the mid Autumn.

One of the 'Dynamite' Reds...(all the rest were taken from July through September)

Grape purple 'Catawba' between two 'Dynamites'.

"Dwarf" 'Hopi' (my favorite!)

12 foot 'Zuni'

'Dynamite' (close up)

Lovely subtropix! I am envious!

Thanks again, everyone. I'm very new to the gardening thing. But don't worry, subtropix, chopping down the "CM" is the farthest thing from my mind. Thanks for sharing your great pics!

In z6 crepe myrtles are die-back perennials, not woody shrubs/trees.

"In z6 crepe myrtles are die-back perennials, not woody shrubs/trees."

Logan, in Zone 6b+ NJ they ARE shrubs/trees..., especially if they are the cold hardier hybrids. (Zone 6b, in fact, may be the sharp cut off between die-back and and persistent!) Not so much dieback as you might think in zones 6b and above! In fact, the issue is quite the OPPOSITE, you wanted a shrub/bush and instead you ended up with a TREE! Yes, guilty here, too. I do cut mine back some each Spring. I have NO DIE BACK on mine, and I am north of the OP.

I'm in zone 6 and this is the first year I've had a crepe come back from above a foot tall in a decade. Well, I have four and it was a warm winter so one was bound to.

More local Crapes...

"More local Crapes..."

That one definitely needs pruning.

I thought that was considered Crape Myrtle Murder! LOL!

Seriously though, I have no issue cutting back any plant.

No, Lol, crepe murder is drastic heading cuts.

'Best Red' after planting and before any pruning:

My Landscape · More Info

'Best Red' this spring after crown raising, thinning, and tip pruning (starting to leaf out).

My Landscape · More Info

It has more leaves now, I need to take another photo. Next year will probably be the last time I do any tip pruning. The reason I done most of the pruning is because it was butchered to make it look denser.

Got two of those best reds myself. Right now they are in containers as I ran out of planting space!

"Right now they are in containers as I ran out of planting space!"

That's a shame. The vibrant red flowers and the dark purple foliage contrast together beautifully. I got mine on sale at walmart. They had this one and a pink one. The pink one had flowers, the red one had no flowers and an infestation of powdery mildew. I still chose the red one because I am tired of pink flowers. It seems like even when I buy something that isn't pink, it turns out to have the wrong label. I guess we will see this year. This one will provide a much-needed pop of color to the space during the summer. I know that they are promoted as "mildew resistant" but this one had mildew all over the lower foliage. I do, however, think that the dense branching contributed to that. Do make sure to thin before planting, when you do find some planting space!

To the OP, are your Crapes showing signs of life now? The ones I have overwintered in pots left outside over winter (not a good idea in areas with an actual winter), have actually leafed out. Those that are in the ground have swollen buds now. (Even my figs are leafing out..., which seems a bit early here.)

P.S., I will probably find the space, now the issue is the TIME.

Yes, finally! And I am thrilled. Thanks for asking - and glad yours are leafing out, too.

I have a 2 yr old single trunk crepe myrtle about 12’ tall that was planted in our front yard in North Texas getting full sun all afternoon. It Bloomed OK, although later in the season the first year, and had to be treated for aphids last year. This year, we had the unusual hard freeze on Valentines in February. Late Blooms again in mid-Summer, and then all the Blooms came off. Now, I have a tree very heavily laden with Buds, but No Blooms. The tree seems otherwise healthy. It has been this way for weeks. What can I do?

I have a 2 yr old single trunk crepe myrtle about 12’ tall that was planted in our front yard in North Texas getting full sun all afternoon. It Bloomed OK, although later in the season the first year, and had to be treated for aphids last year. This year, we had the unusual hard freeze on Valentines in February. Late Blooms again in mid-Summer, and then all the Blooms came off. Now, I have a tree very heavily laden with Buds, but No Blooms. The tree seems otherwise healthy. It has been this way for weeks. What can I do?