Crepe Myrtles in part sun (not full sun)

16 years ago

There aren't many full sun areas in my yard... maybe none.

I planted some very young Natchez Crepes in the backyard (April 07) and they are doing great with around five hours, and this is the sunniest part of my yard.

So there are a number of places that I'd like to try these trees, but I'm not so sure they get as much sun.

The thing is, a major shade tree may be on it's last legs in my yard. I don't want to plant shade loving trees if the shade tree is going to die. So, in preparation for it's demise, I want to plant trees that will appreciate the increase in sun once it's gone.

So what can be expected from a Natchez that only gets some morning sun, and then dappled sun after that?

(should I post this question elsewhere?) : )

Thanks

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Comments (4)

brandon7 TN_zone7
16 years ago
If the shade tree is on its last leg, why don't you have it removed and get a head start on its replacement? If you're not sure whether it's good or not, maybe have someone look at it.

The other thing that came to mind is that if you already have Natchez Crepes in one spot, have you considered diversification with other species instead?
behaviorkelton
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Brandon7 for post of your responses today.

I am concerned about the big shade tree because a) it lives in what I think is a stressful spot (right next to the driveway), b) I may have a sewer pipe run through the yard which will run right next to the trunk on the other side from the driveway, and c)I just get a sinking feeling about it!

My girlfriend, however, loves the tree. Add to that, I have had many trees cut down over this past year... she just doesn't have the tolerance to see another one go down.

Given that I have all kinds of big trees that came with the house, I'd like to get some consistency with some of the more decorative trees.

I love the bark on the Natchez, the drought tolerance, and the medium-large size...and the fact that these trees look their best when the rest of the greenery starts looking a bit worn from the summer heat by August.

Maybe there are some disadvantages to the Crepes... please advise!

Other than that, I have bought a few different types of Dogwoods, a Stewartia, a sunset red maple, paperbark maple, S. Magnolia Altus, Winter Red Hollies, Nellie Stevens Hollies and BlazerFoster Hollies. ... and natchez and dynamite red crepes. All purchased and planted in early spring.

The Nellies can tolerate the partial sun, but in the area that I'm considering, I prefer the shape of the crepe.

Brandon, or anyone else, I am happy to take advice on any or all of those plants.
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I have a similar spot and I plan on choosing plants that are labeled as Sun to Part Shade. Like the other poster mentioned you need plants that can do well in full sun because the sun they'll get is strong and hot, however they do not get a long enough amount of sun as is needed for plants that require full sun. So far I've tried planting asiatic lilies, foxglove, purple coneflower, dianthus barbatus, and a butterfly bush. The coneflowers where grown from seed so they should flower this year, from what I know about them they should do good in this situation. The butterfly bush had been in a pot too long and transplanted too many times by the time it found it's home there so It hadn't bloomed the last 2 months of summer, so we'll see if it does better this year. I have noticed they need a lot of sun though, so maybe not. The dianthus again was seed started so I won't see blooms until this year, but the foliage was very happy growing there. The foxgloves did not do well there, they bloomed well but the leaves were all burning up and in the fall I moved them to a spot in afternoon shade. Asiatic lilies did well but the flowers tips started fading the day after opening and did not last long at all, so I'm going to say they aren't a good candidate. In the fall I planted some bareroot daylillies there and I have high hopes for those. If you like daylilies I think reblooming tpes like stella d'oro would be best, so you'd have flowers from them for a while. The ones I tried are called purple d'oro because yellow is my least favorite color for flowers, but those d'oros are impressive! Again there might be the problem of the flowers fading much faster with the hot afternoon sun blazing on them, but some varieties claim to be more sun resistant than others, so you can go with those. I found one claim from 'Frankly Scarlet' which I will have my eyes out for at the garden centers. Also I think Rudbeckia may work there as well. Just remember the short amount of sun will cause plants to come into season much later so stay away from things that normally don't bloom until fall or they probably won't bloom before frost kills them back. I found this out the hard way.
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brandon7 TN_zone7
16 years ago
I know that full sun or almost full sun is usually recommended for Crepe Myrtles. I googled shade and Crape Myrtle to see if someone had done a study about how much shade they would take. I really didn't immediately find such a study, but I did find this comment from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension Service Office that I think would sum up the usual advise:

"For strong growth and abundant flowering, plant crape myrtle in full sun. Heavy shade will (significantly) reduce growth and flowering and will increase disease problems such as sooty mold on the foliage and powdery mildew on the flower buds and young growth. Large shade trees will also compete with the crape myrtle for moisture, causing poor growth and flowering. Lack of sunlight and moisture are the common causes of poor growth and flowering."
fernzilla
16 years ago
Hi Therre:
I have two Crepe Myrtles in my back yard. One is a Natchez
and it is about 15' or so tall. It recieves about 4 hours of morning Sun and does beautifully. I keep it at a height
where I can snip off the spent blooms, while on a ladder. I can get up to three waves of bloom by doing this. My yard has two huge Pin Oaks and two huge Pine Trees, so neither of the Crepe's get much Sun. The Pink Ruffles I keep at around 5 feet tall. I cut off the blooms after they get brownish, and within a few weeks they are putting out new growth and more buds. I love Crepe Myrtles, they really are so pretty, when everthing else is fried from Summer heat and humidity.

Crepe Myrtles in part sun (not full sun)

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brandon7 TN_zone7

behaviorkelton
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Crepe Myrtles in part sun (not full sun)

Comments (4)

brandon7 TN_zone7

behaviorkeltonOriginal Author

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