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Crape Myrtle Varieties (Clockwise Left to Right: Tuscarora, Zuni, Natchez, Muskogee and Sioux) |
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Lagerstromeia indica 'Sioux' |
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Lagerstroemia indica 'Muskogee' |
HARDINESS & PRUNING: Lagerstroemia are a hardy to zones 7-9 and are “deer resistant”, meaning that deer will most likely avoid them in their diet. They grow best in full sunlight in a well-drained soil with a pH of 5.0-6.5. These trees require little to no pruning but can be pruned to maintain a more compact shape or to remove any dead branches that may result from a harsh winter. If you are going to prune wait until late winter or early spring after the last frost. The plants are dormant in winter and any flowering occurs on new growth so pruning will encourage new flower producing branches. Remove any dead branches, suckers growing from the base or weak twiggy branches and allow strong leader branches to keep the framework of the tree.
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Lagerstroemia indica 'Natchez' |
Lagerstroemia indica 'Tuscarora' |
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Thanks for the wonderful post. It inspires people.
ReplyDeletegrass varieties
Nice post. Some good info on crapes-thank you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting and for your comments. I've been a fan of crape myrtle for the past several years. They do nicely here in Zone 7, Long Island.
ReplyDeleteawesome site... really enjoying it
ReplyDeleteIm moving to Holland Michigan from Alberta Canada.... is Holland considered in the Northeast?
Thanks so much for visiting! Michigan is considered the northeast. You have many zones there from 3-6 so you have to be careful when selecting plants. Crape Myrtle is hardy in zones 7-9,but many of the plants I talk about are hardy to zone 4. Happy gardening!
ReplyDeleteI bought a Crape Myrtle several years ago at one of my "go to" nurseries. So, after planting, in a sunny area, I sat back and waited, and waited, and waited. After 3 years, the "tree" was not much taller than it was when I brought it home. But, it was getting wider! So, I dug it up, and moved it to another sunny area, where it would be a bit of a backdrop "tree". After much research and reading, I figured it must be a really slow grower, or not happy on Long Island. Only in your blog did I see that there are dwarf varieties!! Believe me, I have looked for info. Well, it is thriving where it is. Long blooms, very wide branches, and still less than 5 feet tall! Love it just the same!
ReplyDeleteI wanted to know how to prune for northeast. I know there is a certain way in the south and if not done right they call it myrtle murder! My tree is fushia so I'm thinking it is the Sioux. The blooms are way up high. I would like the tree to be fuller. Can I just hedge trim or do I have to worry about where joints are. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteYour Crape Myrtle should only need pruning to cut out dead wood or increase fullness. The best time to prune is when the tree is dormant in late winter/early spring and the cuts should be made with a sharp pruning sheer/lopper at the joints (where the smaller side branches meet. Do not "hedge trim" the tree for it can open up an invitation to disease and can also be unsightly. The tree can also be pruned in late summer/early fall while the temperatures are above 50 degrees at nightime. This will allow the tree to harden off before winter.
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