Garden

[wildcat fan]

Just wanted to add that if you're new to crepe myrtles and thinking about planting some, be sure to think about location because they can be messy.

Last fall my neighbors removed three gorgeous trees that lined one side of their driveway because they were tired of the mess. In my previous yard, the previous homeowners planted a cluster of three crepe myrtles at the shallow end of the swimming pool. Every time the wind blew in late summer, the pool would be full of flowers. My morning routine would be to empty the skimmer baskets as soon as I rolled out of bed. They would be overflowing with petals, especially after a heavy rain. I swept the sidewalks two or three times a day. Pruning each year helps. In my current yard, I planted my crepes away from the patios, sidewalks, and driveway so that the petals just fall in the yard.

[smoky22]

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@JustJazzmom wrote:

Crepe myrtles are one of the last trees to leaf out in the NE and can get branch die back due to our extremely cold winters.

Some crepe myrtles hybridized by the US National Arboretum are able to survive in Hardiness zones 7/6 but IMO, I would still use protection for them if possible (the shrub ones most likely) with burlap wrap and leaves inside the burlap.

US National Arboretum cultivars

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Thanks for the link.  It helped me identify one of the crape myrtles in my yard (Choctaw) based on the description in the link you provided.  I'm still trying to identify the other one. None of the other descriptions matched that one.  I've also planted one myself now that is a newer small variety (Moonlight Madness) that has very dark maroon, almost black foliage and white flowers.   I love crape myrtles.  There are so many varieties