I have 6 or so crepe myrtles on my property and have had them for 10-15 years now.
I have never had:
1. A japanese beetle issue
2. Mildew
3. complaining neighbors.
4. Noticeable bad odor

If anything, the neighbors love the colorful summer display. It looks like raspberry sherbert.

CMs are pretty trouble free: at least mine have been.

If Japanese beetles are a nuisance in your location, you may find that your Crape myrtle is visited by them. Occasional sprays of insecticial soap will help. Neem is also very effective at keeping beetles from doing damage.

Powdery mildew is a problem with the old varieties of Crapes, but not for the newer hybrids. Your 'Miami' is rated as highly mildew resistant. Of course, if you over fertilize, grow it in a shady location, and anything else that encourages powdery mildew, you could have problems. Otherwise, I doubt that you'll see any problems for the life of your plant.

As for a smell.....I can't imagine where THAT came from! There is nothing about this plant that has a bad odor, and most of them are mildly fragrant when flowering.

I have 32 varieties, and have given away 17 more because I didn't like the color.

I had JB problems, but that comes from the ground which I treated with Milky Spore. Neem oil got rid of the bugs until that did its work.

Powdery mildew is as rhizo_1 says. Powdery mildew is due to lack of moisture, in contrast to what we normally think of mildew. The trees need good ventilation, too.

Smell? Huh?
Perhaps someone's pet was using the ground around that person's CM as a litter box?

These are beatiful, rewarding trees when the brightness of other plants and things are fading. Enjoy yours.

Christine

Thank you all so much for responding and putting my mind at ease. I feel so much better now. I am a newbie at gardening and so far have been pretty impressed by the results in my yard. It is so rewarding and I find myself searching for something to do in the yard almost every day! I can't wait for my CM to bloom. And I vow not to commit crepe murder!

I just started really gardening in 2003.
Let me give you the single, most important piece of advice I learned the hard way:

Don't believe everything you read. It's going to depend upon your individual garden, any microcosm you're in (I'm in a registered, weird one), your prevailing winds, shade or lack thereof, positioning, etc.

I had several gorgeous heuchera in absolutely full sun. These, as of 2003, were definately shade plants. Since I read that and the dire warnings of leaf burn, and all kinds of things, I dug 'em up and moved them.

Well, I lost them. Probably too hot a time of year, and I probably did it wrong, since I was still learning.

If something is happy? I wouldn't move it.
And in the scope of life? Remember that it's a plant, replaceable, and if the cost of it was so dire, you probably shouldn't have bought it in the first place. I no longer freak over a shrub. As a matter of fact, I find neglect to be surprisingly healthy for my garden. (LOL)

Enjoy yourself. You have a lovely tree.

Chrisitne