As Georgia starts to warm up, with the promise of spring and summer around the corner, many of us are starting to appreciate the new growth and blooming plants around us. While we have another month or two to wait until we see blooms, one of my favorite landscape plants in our area are crape myrtles.
Lagerstroemia indica, commonly called the crape myrtle, is one of the most useful and popular flowering shrubs/trees in Georgia. The crape myrtle is native to China and Korea and was believed to have been introduced to Charleston around 1786. The plant thrives in our hot, humid climate and thus has become a popular addition throughout the American South. Crape myrtles are popular due to the huge variety there is in cultivars. Some options are considered shrubs and may be 3-5 feet tall, while other options can be over 20 feet tall and are considered trees. Be sure to select a cultivar that’s mature size is appropriate for the landscape site you’ve selected it for. A second selection criteria are the colors of the blooms produced. Typically, crape myrtles bloom in the summer, though the exact timing will depend on what cultivar is selected. Early blooming options can be pruned and encouraged to bloom a second time in late summer, but cultivars that bloom after mid-July will most likely only bloom once. Blooms range in color with a variety of shades and tones of red, pink, lavender, and white. In the fall, leaf color changes from yellow to orange and red, with variation depending on the cultivar.
If you’re considering adding a crape myrtle to your landscape, there are a few things to think about. Crape myrtles are popular because they can grow in adverse soil conditions- but they do grow and flower better in well-prepared soil. Information on soil testing and amending pH and fertility can be found in several old newspaper articles, on the UGA Extension Publications website, or through our office. When planting crape myrtle, be sure to dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball, and no deeper than it originally grew in the container or field. Then, backfill the hole loosely. You should not add any amendments to the planting hole itself as they encourage roots to remain in that space instead of growing outward into the surrounding soil. After planting, water your crape myrtle thoroughly and mulch the base to conserve moisture, reduce weeds, and insulate the roots.
Crape myrtles prefer full sun and should be placed in locations that provide this. Too much shade will reduce their growth and flowering potential, and will also increase risk of diseases like sooty mold. Planting too close to other large trees will cause competition for moisture and nutrient, further compounding growth and flowering issues. The most common causes of poor growth and flowering are lack of sunlight and lack of moisture. In order to establish your crape myrtle, be sure to water it thoroughly at planting and then once a week for two months after planting. If we have an exceptionally wet season like these past few months, additional irrigation may not be needed. Once established, crape myrtles are drought tolerant, though they will flower better if they are irrigated during dry periods of the flowering season. In addition to proper planting and establishment, crape myrtles benefit from proper fertilization. A general purpose fertilizer such as 10-10-10 can be used. For new plantings, apply one teaspoon of fertilizer along the perimeter of the planting hole each month from March through August. For established trees, broadcast 1lb per 100 square feet one per year in the spring.
If you have questions about crape myrtle varieties, care, pruning, disease, or anything else, please let us know at uge3181@uga.edu or 706-359-3233.
