Crape myrtle

[arnorrian]

A crape myrtle I planted this year started flowering. I hope it's not too cold for it here. I found on the net that is grows well down to hardiness zone 7, but hardiness maps for Europe are a mess, some say my area is 7b, some 7a, some 6b.

[GoDawgs]

You should be ok. That said, 7b can feel colder depending on exposure to prevailing winds, shade, etc.

Keep in mind that crape myrtle roots like to go wandering and will pop up a new plant here and there. In my area crapes are pruned in February while they are dormant. That's about two months before last frost (sometime in April).

That's a really pretty color! Do you have the variety name?

[jtjmartin]

Beautiful color.

We cut a crape myrtle down about 5 years ago and paid to have the stump ground out - it is still sending up suckers. What a tough plant!

[Worth1]

They are a dime a dozen here where I live and for good reason.
They are the cactus of trees and beautiful too.

[mikemansker]

I'm 6b here and crepe myrtle does great and easily survives the winters.

[SpookyShoe]

I have three white dwarf crepe myrtles at the end of my patio. I took this picture at twilight so everything is a little dark. Crepe myrtles are everywhere here.

[arnorrian]

Originally Posted by GoDawgs

That's a really pretty color! Do you have the variety name?

No, I bought it at a flower show. They told ot it should be it should be pale pink.

They are rare here, never saw one in my town.

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by arnorrian

No, I bought it at a flower show. They told ot it should be it should be pale pink.

They are rare here, never saw one in my town.

It should be interesting to see what you have as time goes by. They are fast growers once established. Crapes can range in size and shape as dwarfs, mounding types and uprights. It seems to have large leaves so maybe it's an upright. They will also send up new shoots at the base, giving you the option of keeping those cut off and growing yours as a single-stem or letting a couple stay and growing yours as a multi-stem.

Older crapes will also have what's called exfoliating bark, a thin bark that naturally sheds leaving a nice mottled appearance on the trunk. So if you see bark peeling as time goes on, it's ok.

I've not found mine bothered by insects. If there are lots of aphids in your area you might eventually see a black substance on leaf surfaces that you can rub off. It's called sooty mold and results from aphids on the leaves. They secrete a sweet sticky substance (which ants love) and that substance molds in the right weather conditions. Insecticidal soap should take care of the aphids. Leaves with sooty mold will eventually turn yellow or orange and drop off.

Congratulations on being the only one in town with a beautiful crape!

[arnorrian]

Thanks!

[SpookyShoe]

Like Dawg said you can train your plant to be a tree or a bushy shrub. My crepe myrtle also attracts bees. Here's a close-up of the white dwarf. The color white is not often seen; the pinks and reds being more popular. By the way, arnorrian, that pink you have is a lovely color.

[arnorrian]

I'm glad the bees will like it.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by arnorrian

I'm glad the bees will like it.

Here they like it over everything around.

[SpookyShoe]

The leaves on these are almost a black color. I saw them at two nurseries recently, the first time I have seen them for sale. There is a woman in my neighborhood who has two crepe myrtles with the dark leaves and they look stunning.

P.S. The heading of the post should read dark-leafed, not dark-leaded

[arnorrian]

That's beautiful.

[Worth1]

I have two of them they are dwarfs.
The city chopped one down and it is growing back nicely.