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Carolina Gardening

Crepe (Crape) Myrtle update?

16 years ago

After the late freeze I posted a question if this would impact the Crepe (Crape) Myrtle blooms this year. I learned that the blooms would come from new growth. I was releived to hear this until the lack of decent rain hit and now my CM's are barely growing at all. Is anyone having much luck with theirs? I am still hopeful for some flowers, but I haven't seen any around my area that are doing much.

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Comments (10)

laurabs
16 years ago
My crape myrtle trees must have been planted back when the house was built, in 1996. They never bloom until later - maybe July. One is white and two are that purple-pink.

Crape myrtles are wonderfully drought tolerant once established.

Do you prune yours? If you do, what method do you use? Not the topping method where you take all the top growth off, do you?
tomatomike
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the response. Maybe I am just jumping the gun. I do not prune anything on my CM's except dead branches and the branches that start up on the main trunk. I have read about and see tv shows about "Crepe Murder". Since its been 90+ degrees and I have had ripe tomatoes for about 3 weeks, I guess I mentally think it is mid-summer already!!
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Planting row of crape (crepe) myrtle trees?
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Comments (11)
If you can get, and keep, the crepe myrtle to a single trunk, it won't be as wide as a multi-trunked tree. The flowering branches do extend pretty far out, and can hang down/droop gracefully as the blooms open, possibly as wide as tall, but I haven't measured any big ones that were single trunk. That's why I suggested planting further from the sidewalk, so it doesn't block the walk. You could trim any branches that overhung the walkway back to the trunk, although the CM as a whole might look lop-sided. I am not sure you WANT to prune a 20 foot tree to keep it lower, unless you have access to a cherry picker, as it's rather hard to be safe that high up and reaching to prune? (if you are an aerialist, line-man, or professional arborist, then never mind) And CM's don't look good pruned shorter, IMO. Look up "crepe murder" on this forum or Google for it, and find photos of each, and you can see the differences in "murdered" treees and trees left to grow naturally. Trimming for shape is one thing, trimming for height is much harder to do and keep the tree looking natural. Try to find a CM cultivar that won't get taller than you want the ultimate height to be, and be aware that it will take some years for it to grow to that height. While I love lamb's ears, unless you get a non-flowering variety, be aware that it might not be the best for next to a public walkway. The bumble bees LOVE the flowers, and while you do have to work pretty hard to get a bumble bee to sting, it might upset the neighbors and passers-by to hear and see them buzzing happily. Not many people are aware of the differences between bb's and honey bees, and can react badly to any buzzing, bee-like insect.
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Help! My crepe (crape) myrtle tree wants to be a bush!
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Comments (6)
Reluctantartist, The correct spelling of crape myrtle is with an "a". As ltruett's link indicates, this may not be the best choice for the style of tree you want, and you might be better off replacing it with one that has a more naturally vertical form. You could however do a lot to encourage your 'Acoma' to grow into a tree form. Proper pruning and maybe even staking the plant could result in a form more like what you seek. If you leave the plant alone, like you are doing now, I don't think you can expect it to take on the form you want. You should probably make a decision to either replace it or work with it and manage its form.
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Why is my crape/crepe myrtle have pink blooms & white blooms?
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Comments (19)
Definately do cut out at the base, all trunks in your CM that are blooming pink. Then be certain to pinch off any new growth that the roots of those cut off branches try to keep growing. If you keep the new growth pinched off then only those roots should suffer,and the white blooming branches should begin to experience an advantage, which helps them to prosper more. Unless it is just the lighting cast on the day you took that photo of the pink blooms, the pink blooming trunks might be a Biloxi Crape Myrtle. Those bubblegum pink blooms, in my opinion are a much nicer sight than some of the more pale easily washed out pinks that some CMs produce. Anyway I only tell you this to let your know that if you do like that particular pink color and would like to have a CM growing someplace else with that color, Than simply order or find at some local nursery a Biloxi Crape Myrtle that is already blooming and that you can confirm it really is a Biloxi Crape Myrtle.
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Single Trunk Crape/Crepe Myrtle (7a,7b)
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Comments (17)
You should be able to find single trunked specimens in Huntsville. After all, that's what is used, more often than not, in the landscapes in the area. Seriously, drive around the City and you'll see thousands of Crape standards. (I'm from Huntsville.) By ALL means, visit the locally owned garden centers/nurseries to ask for what you are looking for. The big box outlets won't help you, unless they already have some already in stock. You may need to look for larger trees to find one already trained to a single trunk. Those available in the smaller container sized will most likely be untrained shrub-form. I totally disagree that single trunked specimens are unpleasing. One needs to fit the form to the site. I like both options equally well, but like to see them matched to the location. And I've never found it particularly difficult to maintain a single trunk, as long as you keep up with it when the tree is still young. It doesn't take all that long for them to cease with all of that suckering.
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puddle_of_mud
16 years ago
My Myrtles are not setting bloom yet either, but they will bloom, in July. Does yours normally bloom this early?
dottie_in_charlotte
16 years ago
I remember back in 85 when we came in August to look at homes to buy that the crepe myrtles were in full bloom.
I think 85 was the beginning of a 3 year drought.
Our cross the street neighbors myrtles now, that had been murdered in mid April(pre frost) still have barely a sprig of green on them.
They're on a sloped bed in all-day sun while other neighbors who have myrtles on flat ground,not pruned are recovering nicely.
I can tell you from experience that crapes are next to impossible to kill unless they are water deprived.
I had one cut down and the stump ground 6-8" below ground level.
It came back up 2 years later. Simply remarkable!
alicia7b
16 years ago
They'll put out new growth and bloom when it rains. As others have said, it's early yet. And they are one of the most drought tolerant plants for the Southeast.
lynnencfan
16 years ago
Crepe Mrytle and Miss Huff lantana - two really good work horses for the Southern garden with this drought. Our CrepeMyrtles suffered bad frost damage but have filled out nicely - my bloom may be off a couple of weeks from last year which I am glad - at least the JB's may be gone by then....

Lynne
rivers1202
16 years ago
Mine has filled out nicely, but the powdery mildew is starting to show up again. Does anyone know if spraying with a baking soda/water mixture actually helps control PM on Crepe Myrtles? I read somewhere that it does but I've never tried it.
I don't usually get blooms until mid-summer, but I expect it to be a bit later this year due to the freeze damage.

As far as pruning goes, I've never committed Crepe Murder. I do prune crossing branches, inward growing branches, and any new growth that sprouts up around the bottom of the main trunks.

Renee
hjkarns
16 years ago
The Crepe Myrtle's in Roanoke Rapids are starting to bloom; early; but there are blooms setting in and they are beautiful. My mom has 8-9 huge Crepe Myrtle's in her front yard and the blooms are really starting to pop! (They prune theirs the correct way...too many people here in town committ Crepe Murder).
laurabs
16 years ago
I saw my first bloom on one of my lavendar crape myrtles this week. This tree is about 20 feet tall, and it was way up high.
alicia7b
16 years ago
I saw some blooming in Smithfield this week too. Depending on the weather and location crape myrtles can start in June or July and repeat again in August. Mine aren't blooming yet, but no worries. I was at the Arboretum a couple weeks ago and the garden there looked as though it was a whole month ahead! The crape myrtles weren't blooming yet but may be by now. I'm pretty sure my crape myrtles are just waiting for more rain.

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