Patrick Greenwald 2014

When I was growing up, my mother’s favorite tree

and shrub in our yard was a Magnolia grandiflora,

and a deep rose pink flowering Lagerstromia hybrid

crepe myrtle at our front mailbox. This would not be

too uncommon of a planting here in North Carolina,

but you see where I grew up and began my career in

horticulture, in St. Louis Missouri, it was pushing the

cold hardy range of these gorgeous shrubs. Our

crepe myrtle never got very tall, and the magnolia

always suffered from winter burn, shedding a great

majority of its leaves each spring.

As a gardener from the north, I used to drool with

envy over pictures of the south where it seems like

every street corner was lit up with the prolific

beautiful flowers of Crepe Myrtles in summer. Even

the highway medians in North Carolina are planted in

Lagerstroemia, everything from the white of

‘Natchez’ to the watermelon red of ‘Tuscarora.’

Raleigh is truly blessed with the right climate to be

able to grow these beautiful shrubs and trees to their

fullest height potential.

Many cultivars exist from tree form specimens of 20 feet to dwarf spreading shrubs that seem to hug

the ground. It is amazing how many pest resistant cultivars the U.S. National Arboretum has developed

over the years. The following website displays photos of the immense list of these cultivars:

http://ucanr.edu/sites/sjcoeh/files/80608.pdf

Best planted in fall to early spring, Lagerstroemia cultivars, once established are able to withstand

periods of drought. A specimen I planted years ago by a mailbox, in the worst clay gravel choked soil,

thrived in the heat of summer with little to no irrigation. Plant crepe myrtles in well drained, slightly

acidic soil, hot full sun location, which receives plenty of airflow. For small garden spaces, choose a

dwarf cultivar. Horticulture specialist from Clemson University recommend only pruning out spent

flowers to encourage potential re-blooming till the end of summer. Severe pruning will cause the plants

to be less pest resistant and to produce many small weak stems which flop with the weight of the

flowers. Any fertilizer applied should be done in the spring, to prevent late flushes of new growth not

hardened off and therefore susceptible to winter dieback.

Did you know that Common Crepe Myrtles have been in cultivation since the early 1800’s? At Pender

Nursery, we carry many of the top disease and insect resistant L. indica and L. fauriei hybrids. Tonto,

a fuchsia colored hybrid from the U.S. National Arboretum, has good resistance to powdery mildew

and excellent resistance to cercospora leaf spot, and is moderately resistant to Japanese beetle.

Patrick Greenwald 2014

Another cultivar, ‘Tuscarora’, has watermelon red flowers has excellent resistance to powdery mildew

and cercospora leaf spot.

Although relatively care free plants, Lagerstroemias depending on the cultivar, may be susceptible to

some insects such as aphids and Japanese beetles, and diseases such as powdery mildew. The best way

to limit disease and insect pressure on plants is by creating a good environment for the plants to thrive.

A hot dry location with good airflow and no overhead irrigation will discourage powdery mildew.

Depending on the severity of the season, Japanese beetles are best controlled at home by removing

them by hand. This organic approach to controlling the beetles is highly recommend by University

Extension and Master Gardener volunteers. In the cool of the morning when the beetles are still

sluggish, they should be gently knocked off into a bucket of soapy water. Don’t waste your money on

fancy pheromone traps. You see, the pheromone attractants actually draw more Japanese beetles to

your yard than without the traps.

With a little time to pick out the right cultivar for the right spot, crepe myrtles are wonderful trees and

shrubs for urban environments. Combined with the exfoliating bark and yellow-orange fall foliage,

there are very few plants that can compare to the yearlong beauty of what has been rightfully called the

‘Lilac of the South’12345

1 http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=i320 2 http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/trees/hgic1008.html 3 http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/trees/hgic1009.html 4 http://www.clemson.edu/extension/horticulture/nursery/ipm/book_files/chapter_6 5 https://web.extension.illinois.edu/clw/downloads/22329.pdf