Southern_Living_June_2017

HOME & GARDEN

JUNE 2017 / SOUTHERNLIVING.COM

34

F

OR VIBRANT

summer color, few

flowering plants can

compete with the

crepe myrtle. Just

look around your

neighborhood. Nearly

every street in the South is

lined with these blooming

trees from mid-June to mid-

August. There’s plenty to

love about them: They grow

almost anywhere, are easy to

maintain, and are available in

all shapes, sizes, and shades.

When picking one for your

yard, ask yourself: What color

flowers do I want? Choose

from red, white, purple, or

pink. Is it cold hardy enough?

This is key if you live in the

Upper South. Is there plenty

of sunlight? The more sun,

the more flowers you’ll get.

How big will it grow? Crepe

myrtles have a reputation for

growing fast. A larger one can

overwhelm your landscape,

which could result in the

ill-advised pruning practice

known as “crepe murder.”

At right are four of our

favorite selections.

CARING FOR CREPE MYRTLES

WHEN TO PLANT

The cooler weather

of spring or fall is

ideal. If you plant

in summer, water

daily until leaves

drop in fall. One

that hang on

after the flowers

have fallen in

mid-August can

generate a second

(but less robust)

flowering in late

summer. Â

bare stumps. This

is called “crepe

murder” and results

in weak branches.

PROLONG BLOOMS

Cutting off the

green seedpods

only twiggy growth

in the center and

branches that are

growing inward,

crossing over, or

rubbing. Don’t

just haphazardly

overprune them to

well-drained. They

need at least six

hours of direct

sunlight a day.

PRUNING POINTERS

Late winter is the

best time. Remove

day of dried roots

could be fatal.

WHERE TO PLANT

Crepe myrtles can

grow in a variety

of soil types as

long as they are

Pick a Crepe Myrtle (clockwise from top left)

‘Miami’: cold hardy, grows 18 to 25 feet tall,

deep pink flowers; ‘Natchez’: fast grower,

up to 35 feet in height, long-blooming white

flowers; ‘Zuni’: grows 6 to 10 feet tall, long-

blooming lavender flowers; ‘Biloxi’: cold

hardy, reaches 35 feet tall, light pink blooms