Archive for the ‘Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia)’ Category

Re-starting Summer Flowering Shrubs After Winter Injury

Some non-hardy shrubs can be treated as hardy perennials. Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) and chastetree (Vitex agnus-castus) may emerge in poor condition after an unusually cold winter. Shrubs like butterfly bush (Buddleia spp.), and blue mist (Caryopteris spp.) often emerge in a ragged state, but recover quicker if cutback near the ground several weeks before […]

Landscape Shrubs Rarely Damaged By Deer

Deer will eat or nibble on any landscape plant, particularly when they’re starving. Abnormally high deer populations, starved by a shortage of their favorite foods (mast), will feed or browse on almost any plant. This is a survival reaction. To truly protect plants when deer numbers are unusually high, a tall fence or reinforced netting […]

Renewal Pruning Is An Easy Technique To Learn

Renewal pruning is the practice of severely cutting back selected shrubs and trees. The task is simple. There are no books to read. Select a day from mid-February to early April (USDA hardiness zones 5-7). Cutback the entire shrub(s), leaving 3-5 inch tall cut stems or stubble. The cut stems will bud out in the […]

Too Early Fall Color A Telltale Signal Of Tree In Trouble

Early leaf color or premature leaf drop often tells a property owner that their tree(s) may not be healthy. Photo above, taken in front of a new subdivision, says alot. Large red maples show leaf color weeks ahead of their natural timeline. Notice the narrow median where the trees are planted. The cause of early […]

Why Some Crapemyrtles Do Not Flower

There are several probable reasons why your crape myrtle did not flower this summer. The two leading reasons are lack of adequate daily sunlight and planting depth. Crape myrtles should be planted in full sun. They don’t flower well in locations receiving less than 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. If the leaves are […]

Small (Dwarf) Crape Myrtles Becoming The Vogue

‘Tightwad Red’ Crape Myrtle Over the past quarter century crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) have become the quintessential flowering shrubs of summer along with hydrangeas (Hydrangea spp.), altheas (Hibiscus syriacus), and chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus).  Crape myrtles are grouped into four distinct size categories: trees, large shrubs, medium shrubs and dwarf sizes. A spate of new dwarf […]

“Red Sells”: Red Flowering Crape Myrtles

In the Southern U.S. crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) provide summer long flowering. In the garden center business there is a popular saying: “red flowers sell”. Among crape myrtles red flowering cultivars generally outsell all others. Probably the most popular red variety is Dynamite®, a Carl Whitcomb introduction. Dr. Whitcomb followed with other red introductions of different […]

Winter Hardiness of Crape Myrtles

If you garden in USDA zone 6, certain crape myrtle cultivars are rated as reliably winter hardy perennials. Most dependable are the U.S. National Arboretum cultivars released starting in the 1980’s to date. Each one is named for an Indian tribe. Most of the National Arboretum cultivars are selected for cold hardiness as well as for disease and insect resistance.  Among the […]