Crepe Myrtle

Crepe Myrtle is a genuinely satisfying plant to grow, but I want to be upfront about one thing: honey fungus affecting roots especially on stressed trees. I've dealt with it twice now and it takes consistent attention to manage. Beyond that, significant impact on the microclimate and character of a…

I'd had Crepe Myrtle for about eight months with acceptable but unremarkable results. Then I started really paying attention to keeping a mulch-free collar immediately around the trunk and the difference over the next two months was dramatic. canopy habitat for birds, insects, and wildlife became m…

I had a serious problem with honey fungus affecting roots especially on stressed trees on my Crepe Myrtle earlier this year. Caught it late and had to work hard to bring the plant back. The experience was frustrating but educational. Now that it's healthy again I can fully appreciate significant im…

I want to be honest: I'm not getting great results with Crepe Myrtle and I'm not entirely sure why. root encroachment near drains or house foundations has been a recurring problem despite my attempts to address it. I've been focusing on staking correctly with a low stake to allow the trunk to flex a…

I'm a busy person and can't give every plant the attention the books recommend. Here's what I've learned about the minimum viable care for Crepe Myrtle. formative pruning in the first five years to build a clear leader is genuinely non-negotiable — skip this and the plant declines noticeably. Every…

As a complete beginner I was nervous about starting with Crepe Myrtle. It turned out to be more forgiving than I expected, as long as I paid attention to watering deeply and regularly in the first two growing seasons. I grow mine in a specimen on a lawn as a traditional statement tree which is work…

I've been growing Crepe Myrtle for a full year now and want to capture what each season offered. autumn colour and fruit or berry display was the clear high point — everything you're told about Crepe Myrtle at that time of year is true. But the plant has something to offer in every season, which I h…

After growing Crepe Myrtle for over a year here is what I'd tell a beginner. First: staking correctly with a low stake to allow the trunk to flex and strengthen is not optional — it's the foundation everything else depends on. Second: scale insects or aphids in the canopy attracting sooty mould wil…

I planted Crepe Myrtle without expecting much and it's become one of the most satisfying things in my garden. exceptional seasonal spectacle from blossom through autumn colour is something I couldn't have predicted from looking at it in a nursery. You only understand it once the plant is established…

Someone gave me Crepe Myrtle as a birthday gift and I barely knew what it was. Two years later it's my most treasured plant and I've spent more time researching it than I'd care to admit. The key discovery was staking correctly with a low stake to allow the trunk to flex and strengthen — once that …