Can I grow crepe myrtle in the UK?
In the right place, these shrubs are a low-maintenance plant as they are tolerant of drought. In parts of the UK where temperatures regularly drop below -5ºC, it’s best to grow crape myrtles in containers and overwinter them in a conservatory or greenhouse. Crape myrtles are very drought resistant once established. FERTILIZING: Apply a slow release fertilizer with a 3-1-1 ratio of nitrogen to phosphorous and potassium. Ex- amples include a 12-4-4 or 18-6-6 fertilizer, applied in late Winter or early Spring as leaves emerge, and again in July.The common crape myrtle grows to a height of 15–25′ and a spread of 6–15′ at maturity. This shrub grows at a fast rate, with height increases of more than 24 per year. Full sun is the ideal condition for this shrub, meaning it should get at least 6 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day.Best Plants To Grow With Crape Myrtle Create an elegant formal garden with boxwoods for year-round interest. Grow crape myrtle with flowering shrubs like hydrangea, spirea, and dogwood for an impressive floral display.Planting. Crepe myrtles love full sunshine with a minimum of 6 hours a day. They will grow in partial sun or shade but will likely not flower as much. Planting these trees in a shady location is the most frequent cause of failures to bloom.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.
What is the lifespan of crepe myrtles?
Lifespan of Crepe Myrtle Crepe myrtles live quite a few years if you take care of them. A crepe myrtle lifespan can exceed 50 years. So that’s the answer to the question “how long do crepe myrtle trees live? They can live a good, long time with suitable care. Your crepe myrtle may not be blooming if it is only a young tree – it can take 3-5 years for a tree to become established enough to flower. This may sound like a long time, but bear in mind that the trees take 5-10 years to mature, and 20-50 years to reach their ultimate size.Crepe myrtle trees show off their bark more since their leaves are higher. In bush form, the bark is hidden under dense foliage and flowers. Either way, the plant offers multi-season appeal. You get bright summer blooms, colorful fall leaves, and interesting bark in winter.First, you need to decide where in your garden the crape myrtle should go. They need full sun and good air circulation for the best blooms. Six hours of sun a day is the minimum requirement. It will grow in most soil as long as there is good drainage.Ecosystem Service Value: Crape Myrtle primarily attracts bees and other pollinators. Birds often use this small tree for protection. Uses, Other Details: Can also be seen with spellings Crapemyrtle or Crepe Myrtle.
Where is the best place to plant crepe myrtles?
First, you need to decide where in your garden the crape myrtle should go. They need full sun and good air circulation for the best blooms. Six hours of sun a day is the minimum requirement. It will grow in most soil as long as there is good drainage. 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.Luckily, Crepe Myrtles are non toxic, including to humans, dogs, and cats. For a very long time, people have used the berries of Crepe Myrtles for therapeutic purposes and have even used them in different meals.While crape myrtles are a low maintenance plant, they can be affected by a few diseases and pests. Powdery mildew, sooty mold, anthracnose, and crape myrtle bark scale can be controlled with cultivar selection, insecticides, and/or fungicides.Crape Myrtle is not poisonous to dogs, so you can include this perennial shrub in your landscape if you have furry friends. Some varieties have berries and seed pods that may fall from the plant, but there is no reason to be concerned if your dog eats any part of the plant.
Should crepe myrtles be cut back every year?
Crape myrtles are beautiful trees. They do not require any pruning to encourage summer blossoms, and can grow to be tall, prolific showpieces for any landscape,” said Strickland. However, with any tree, some light corrective pruning may be in order. When a crape myrtle is pruned properly, it has 2 positive affects: Produces double the amount of branches and blooms as the year before. New healthy branches can now support the new blooms.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. It is not very appealing visually, so there is no reason to bring the plant indoors for the winter.All Crape Myrtles have non-invasive roots. You can plant them next to a sidewalk, foundation and even a pool. They will not harm structures in any way.Best Fertilizer For Crape Myrtle Generic products like Miracle Grow can also provide a balanced mix of nutrients and support new growth and plentiful blooms.
Are crape myrtles poisonous to humans?
Luckily, Crepe Myrtles are non toxic, including to humans, dogs, and cats. For a very long time, people have used the berries of Crepe Myrtles for therapeutic purposes and have even used them in different meals. Crape Myrtle is not poisonous to dogs, so you can include this perennial shrub in your landscape if you have furry friends. Some varieties have berries and seed pods that may fall from the plant, but there is no reason to be concerned if your dog eats any part of the plant.Find a Sunny Location It will grow in most soil as long as there is good drainage. It will suffer from root rot if there is standing water. Soil pH isn’t too important. But crape myrtles do prefer neutral or slightly acidic soil.CRAPE MYRTLE TIPS: 3) Plant the hybrids with the large leaves to avoid powdery mildew in the spring and fall. Crape Myrtles need at least 6 hours of DIRECT SUN for good, long summer bloom.CARE OF CRAPE MYRTLES Their excellent drought resistance, fast growth, beautiful flowers, and low maintenance requirements make them very popular. Many cultivars have superb bark interest and great fall leaf color as well.Add Extra Mulch over the Root Zone Increase the amount of mulch over the root zone of your crape myrtle up to 6 inches to insulate roots from the cold. One bag of premium triple shredded bark mulch per tree should be sufficient and is available throughout the season at Gasper Home & Garden Showplace in Richboro, PA.
Will crepe myrtle spread?
Planning your crape myrtle site The common crape myrtle can reach a height of 15–25′ and a spread of 6–15′ at maturity. With ideal planting conditions this shrub grows at a fast rate, with height increases of more than 24 per year. Crepe myrtles are iconic, vibrant, flowering trees that line the streets of some of the country’s most beautiful neighborhoods. However, these classic Southern trees can become plagues with problems and left with untreated pests or diseases can surely lead to decline and possible death.Crape myrtles are typically hardy in zones 7-9, though their cold tolerance varies by variety. Protect young or marginally hardy trees from winter damage by mulching and wrapping trunks once dormant. If you live in a region with cold winters, look for cold-hardy varieties of this plant.The bloom times of crape myrtles vary, depending on a number of factors. Some crape myrtles come into bloom with large clusters of flowers appearing on the tips of new branches in May, while other varieties wait until July or later. Blooms continue into fall.Crepe myrtles are deciduous, flowering profusely with compact crepe-like blooms throughout the hot summer months, then losing their leaves in late Autumn to show off, another draw card, its textured bark. In warmer areas flowering can start from late spring and finish in Autumn.