How many colors of crape myrtles are there?
Crepe myrtles are available in most colors except blue, yellow, and orange. The most common crepe myrtles are white and shades of pink to red and purple. What do crepe myrtle flowers look like? Crepe myrtles bloom in clusters with crepe paper-like flowers that reach six to 18 inches long. Crepe myrtle bushes tend to grow shorter with a shrubby form. They often have several stems growing from the base. These are great as ornamental shrubs, border plants, or in group plantings. crepe myrtle trees, on the other hand, grow upright.Crepe myrtles are deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves in the winter. If you are wanting your tree for shade or privacy, make sure that you know your tree is without leaves for part of the year.There are some notable differences between these two lovely crepe myrtles. To start, the flowers of the crepe myrtle bush are much smaller and have a more vibrant fuchsia color than the crepe myrtle tree. The crepe myrtle tree has fairly large flowers that are more of a light lavender color.Crape myrtles are heat loving trees and often they are one of the last trees to leaf out in spring. They require at least three days above 70ºF to wake and show bud break. This can be as early as April or as late as early May. Once warm weather arrives in earnest they will grow steadily.
What color crepe myrtle grows the fastest?
Basham’s Party Pink is the fastest growing Crape Myrtle Tree we have ever seen. It is not unusual for Basham’s Party Pink to grow 12 to 15 feet per year! It is a very full upright tree that grows to 30ft+ tall with a 20ft+ canopy. Its flowers can best be described as a pale pinkish with light lavender undertones. Crape myrtles have a shallow, fibrous root system and are long lived.Another controversy surrounding crape myrtles is that they are not native to the United States. They are actually native to China and other Asian countries. These trees first made their way to England and from there to the United States by way of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1786.In general, crape myrtles grow at a medium to fast growth rate at about 1-2 feet per year. Hence where they get their nickname – fast growing trees!Crape myrtles are very hardy, so they are very forgiving during periods of neglect or over pruning, but imagine the display of flowers your plant will give you with the proper care! Newer branches won’t be able to hold the weight of the blooms due to growing too long and weak especially when wet.Lagerstroemia floribunda (King’s Crape Myrtle) – The ultimate rarity, maturing to a jaw-dropping 100 feet tall! With cascading branches and vibrant blooms in shades of pink, purple, and red, this tree is so rare you’re almost guaranteed to be the only one you know who has it!
What is the best month to plant Crepe Myrtles?
The best time to plant Crape Myrtles is late fall or early spring. Planting in the fall allows the roots to establish themselves before winter dormancy, while early spring planting takes advantage of the upcoming growing season. Sun: Full sun is the ideal condition, meaning it should get at least 6 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day. Soil: Crape myrtle can grow in a variety of soils, but they prefer moist, well-drained soil. They can tolerate alkaline, dark clay soils, and once established, they can do well in dry, sandy soils.Don’t plant Crape Myrtles in shade. Crape Myrtles perform their best in 6+ hours of blistering full sun per day. Even light shade at various times during the day will greatly reduce flowering, cause the tree to appear thin, and force it to reach for the sun, creating a leggy look.Most local nurseries will label their plants with this information, which is just as important as flower color and bark appearance. Crape myrtle is a low-maintenance plant needing little or no pruning if planted in full sun away from walkways and roads.Combining different varieties and colors of crape myrtle is a fun and EASY way to create a visually stunning effect. Through a process called inosculation, crape myrtles will fuse together to form a single living tree. Your neighbors will wonder where you got such an unusual plant.Damage – The crapemyrtle aphid is the only significant insect pest of crepe myrtles in the Southeast. Because it feeds on the lower surface of crepe myrtle foliage, it is inconspicuous except for the copious amounts of honeydew that it excretes.
What are the disadvantages of crape myrtles?
The most common problems we see with crape myrtle can be “crape MURDER”, some leaf diseases, like powdery mildew, crape myrtle bark scale, aphids, and beetles. Crape Myrtle is deciduous, so the plant drops its leaves during the winter and goes dormant. The plant needs this dormant period to recover from the previous growing season and gear up for the spring.Believe it or not – Crape myrtles should be pruned like any other tree – rarely and only to correct problems and enhance their natural shape. Prune your Crape myrtles in late January to early March if necessary.Crape myrtle do not have invasive root systems, which may be one reason they are used as sidewalk margin trees. They don’t lift the sidewalks as so many other trees do. And their beautiful fall color is another reward. Crape myrtles have been grown in China since the Tang dynasty.Crape myrtles love the sun, so it’s equally as important to ensure your plant gets plenty of light; ideally, at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. Your planting location should receive sunlight for most of the day.Do not plant crape myrtle under the shade of large, overhanging trees. Crape myrtle needs around 6 hours of sunlight per day for best flowering. Additionally, too much shade can lead to issues like powdery mildew and other diseases.