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Crape Mrytles: Summer Show Stoppers

© Keith Muraoka

Shorts, sun tan lotion, t-shirts, the beach. All are symbols of hot summer weather.

Ah, but we've forgotten the summer garden show stopper: none other than crape myrtles! Yes, Lagerstroemia is another way to gauge hot weather. Crape myrtles are among the showiest summer-blooming trees and shrubs around. Great clusters of purple, red, pink and white flowers are putting on a spectacular show even as you read this. The blooms will last another couple of months.

Crape myrtles are available in both tree and shrub form. Both are deciduous, meaning they lose their leaves in winter. And if you've never seen crape myrtles in the dead of winter, you'd swear they were dead. The stems and branches are completely brown and void of leaves, and they turn very brittle. More than once, I've scratched a thin layer of bark off my crape myrtles just to make sure they were green and still alive underneath.

Many home gardeners think that flower color is the only deciding factor when it comes to choosing crape myrtles. But consider these options, too:

-- They are normally multi-trunked and respond well to a method of pruning known as pollarding. This is an old European way of hard pruning that produces a beautiful umbrella-like effect. However, once started, you must continue this method for the life of the tree. Also, lovely winter bark is a bonus.

-- They can be grown as standards with a rounded top, and will reach 10 to 20 feet high. They are effective in groups or as stand-alone specimens. Semi-dwarf varieties are basically large shrubs, growing six to 10 feet. Dwarf varieties grow to four feet, with the same showy flower clusters.

-- Old-time varieties had serious problems with powdery mildew. However, most modern varieties are mildew resistant. Be aware, though, that cool summer climates can still prompt outbreaks of mildew. Also, aphids have been known to attack crape myrtles. Don't jump the gun on spraying, though. Crape myrtles are the preferred diet of 30 or so of our most beneficial insect predators. Destroying the crape myrtle aphid will deprive your garden of these beneficial insects.

Finally, please note that flowering occurs on new growth. This means that in order to get the best blooms next summer, some pruning is necessary in winter. I cut mine back around the same time I prune roses -- anywhere from late December to February.

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