Light tip pruning or snipping off old blooms will encourage more flowers. New growth may be stunted, curled, and distorted. If your crepe myrtle is dropping leaves, chances are your trees are infested with a fungus called Cercospora leaf spot. The Petite Plum crape myrtle variety is a dwarf tree growing as a large shrub. Crape Myrtle Bushes: Types and Care (With Pictures) - Leafy Place The lush green leaves help make this a favorite in gardens and landscapes in the southern United States. However, rather than feeding on the plant itself, sooty mold actually grows on sticky honeydew excreted by sucking insects like aphids, scales, and whiteflies that do feed on the leaves. Some crepe myrtles bloom better than others. The reasons for crepe myrtle leaves turn red are: Cucumber Leaves Are Turning Brown 5 Reasons and Fixes, Ligustrum Yellow Leaves 5 Worrying Causes. "I'd plant a crepe myrtle," I earnestly responded. If your crepe myrtle hasn't bloomed, most likely it's due to one of three reasons: Poor Pruning (aka Crepe Murder): Don't chop your large crepe myrtles down to stubs each spring. Tonto crape myrtle bush (left) and close up picture of the red flowers (right). White-gray sporulation appears on the leaves lower surface. Shaded areas will likely result in crepe myrtles not blooming, and partial sunlight will yield poor results. Are your crepe myrtle leaves turning red and dropping leaves? If the soil doesnt drain well, it can also result in crepe myrtle with yellow leaves. What are the Anthurium Roots Above the Soil? Author Bio Daniel Iseli "@type": "Question", Most varieties of crape myrtle bushes flower from the middle of May or the start of June. ", Some sap-sucking insects do not fully digest plant sap. Catawba crape myrtle shrub (left) and close up picture of the purple flowers (right). The blooming will also get reduced a lot. "text": "Technically, crepe myrtle leaves don’t change color from summer to fall. This shows that your tree or shrub is being attacked by tiny critters. You can also make an antifungal spray with 1.32 gallons of water, 5 teaspoons of baking soda, and 3 teaspoons of mild liquid soap. Start treating with fungicides in the early summer when the symptoms appear. The vaunted crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) arrived in England from its native China in 1759. Consider transplanting to relocate your crepe myrtle to a spot where it will thrive. Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. For vibrant summer color, few flowering plants can compete with the crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica). This crape myrtle variety has clusters of light purple, lavender-colored flowers. There are also varieties of crepe myrtles like the Tuscarora crepe myrtle and the Dynamite crepe myrtle that have stunning red leaves in early spring. Crepe myrtles can tolerate most soil conditions with good drainage. What should I do? Note: While using these homemade recipes be sure to try them on a small area first. The Advertizing and Publicity persons are Doug & Gloria Bateman. But you will need to water it often in hot weather. This variety is variable in size (some forms are dwarf shrubs, others large shrubs or small trees) and habit (spreading or upright). 5 Awful Plants For The Front Of Your House, Everything You Need To Know About Buttercups, How To Grow And Care For Chinese Snowball Viburnum, How To Grow And Care For Winter Honeysuckle, 12 Large And Medium Crepe Myrtle Trees For Big Impact, The Biggest Mistakes To Avoid When Growing Camellias. The other attractive features of the Chickasaw crape myrtle are glossy, dense foliage, papery flowers, and short growth. If your crepe myrtles leaf edges look tattered or you notice similar damage, your tree may have pests. Crape myrtles grow best with little maintenance. Temperatures below freezing can cause the stems to die back to the ground. The mature size of crape myrtle Apalachee plants dramatically depends on the growing conditions. Even though trees may lose a large portion of their leaves, there are generally no long-term, serious health effects. Water Requirements. Crepe myrtle likes a medium amount of water and prefers consistently moist soils where it can get it. However, once established, it is quite drought-tolerant and will subsist on a deep watering to a depth of 6 inches or so once or twice per month. Until the plant is established, however, keep its soil consistently moist. Answer: This is a fungal disease called Cercospora leaf spot. A disease that causes premature discoloration and leaf drop is verticillium wilt. Youll also find helpful tips on caring for crape myrtle shrubs. Over-pruning crape myrtles can result in too much foliage and fewer flowers. Overwatering and underwatering both can be turning the leaves of your crepe myrtles red. For the plant leaf curling, pests are one of the most habitual intruders to blame. Mature Size: Sizes range from 3 to 30 depending on the variety. In winter, the shrub has mottled brown and tan-colored exfoliating bark. "We just took out a tree in the front yard," she said. The larvae primarily eat grass roots but can also feed on the roots of young crepe myrtle trees. See How to Prune Your Crepe Myrtle for a step-by-step guide on shaping your myrtle like a pro. What Causes It: Bark scale is a relatively new pest in the Southeastern US. You can get a moisture meter that will help them to water the right amount (our pick: Atree Soil Soil Tester Kits with Moisture, Light, and PH Test for Garden). I just wish that 25 years ago, I'd planted it in the middle of the yard. The Natchez is also one of the tallest crape myrtles reaching between 20 to 30 ft. Like other crape myrtles, the Natchez is very hardy and exhibits a high mildew resistance. What It Does: Because the sooty mold fungus feeds off insect secretions and not the plant itself, if you rub a leaf covered in sooty mold youll generally find a green and healthy leaf underneath. Brown Spots On My Crepe Myrtle Leaves and Crepe Myrtle Leaves Turning Yellow and Red. Word of Caution: Splashing rain or water may spread the fungus to other plants so treat all your plants for insects and not just the ones currently exhibiting a sooty mold issue. What They Are: Crape myrtle aphids are a soft bodied insect that is pale yellowish-green in color with black spots on the abdomen. These trees also have especially handsome bark: The smooth gray outer bark flakes away to reveal glossy cinnamon-brown bark beneath. There are various reasons why a crepe myrtle tree can change color. Delta Blush crape myrtles have light pink flower clusters that add pastel tones to gardens from June through September. With some pruning, the compact shrub is ideal for mass planting, flowering hedgerows, or growing in containers. The issue generally arises after it rains or when the plant is overwatered. For more on aphid control as well as how to handle the associated issue of sooty mold, see our guide to common crepe myrtle problems. The semi-dwarf trees have a large, spreading crown up to 11 ft. (3.3 m) wide. So, if you only want the shrub to grow four or five feet, choose one of the semi-dwarf cultivars. So, during early winter the. Acoma crape myrtle bush (left) and close up picture of the white flowers (right). Apply fungicide and prevent your crepe myrtles from getting Cercospora leaf spots and get them the right amount of fertilizer. Tags on patented plants will typically have PP for plant patent or PPAF for plant patent applied for followed by a series of numbers. This soil should be well-draining. When planted in small yards or near the house, they may quickly outgrow their welcome, resulting in a winter-spring pruning ritual known as crepe murder, in which innocent trees are chopped back into ugly, knuckled trunks. Crape myrtle bushes are smaller than trees and have multiple stems. Crape myrtle bushes need at least six hours of sunshine daily to bloom profusely. When pruning a crepe myrtle, don't chop your large crepe myrtles down to ugly stubs each spring just because your neighbors do. Two things. Just remember that if you plant them in summer months, youll need to give them lots of water to help them adjust to the garden and promote new root growth. " How could anybody hate crepe myrtles? And you will be getting lots of pretty blooms. We earn from qualifying purchases. If you are a coffee drinker, regularly sprinkle coffee grinds around the base of your crepe myrtle trees to slowly lower the ph of the soil. Heres how: Improper watering interrupts the movement of phosphorus. Too little sun can depress blooms or keep your tree from blooming at all. If the rounded crown has a spread of five feet (1.5 m), then space the shrubby bushed five feet apart. Grow Chickasaw crape myrtle miniature bushes in USDA zones 7 through 9. Use the rest of the water and pour it into the base of your crepe myrtles. We dance for fun not for perfection! This article is a complete guide to popular types of crape myrtle bushes. Youll know if your crepe myrtle has it if brown spots form on the lower leaves in mid- to late summer. Please let us know if you have concerns, suggestions or questions. Water them just the right amount and provide good air circulation. Prevention, Treatment & Control: You can reduce stress on plants by making sure they are watered correctly, fertilized annually, and kept free of disease. The Vice President is Jeannie Mastine and the Treasurer/Secretary is Wendy Shields; the Social Convener is Mary Dament. There's plenty to love about them: They grow almost anywhere, are easy to maintain, and are available in all shapes, sizes, and every shade of red, white, purple, or pink. Although it tolerates drought, you need to give it plenty of water during hot sunny summer days. Dwarf varieties or medium-sized crape myrtle bushes are ideal for growing as a flowering privacy screen. Causes For Crape Myrtle Leaves Turning Red With Black Spots Females bore into stems, branches, or trunks of young trees. The fungal spores spread from water splash during warm and wet weather. The spread can be between five and 15 feet wide. The attractive features of crape myrtle bushes are their flowers with crepe-like petals, orange or red fall foliage, and interesting pinkish-gray, mottled, peeling bark. Plus, if you remove the seed pods early enough in the yearsay late Julyyou'll probably get a second flush of blooms in September. Eventually, the leaves will fall off and your tree wont bloom. You will see some crape myrtles showing few symptoms, these are resistant cultivars. Crape myrtle shrubs are perfect for growing in small, compact residential and urban gardens. The various strains of the Crepe Myrtle produce a variety of beautiful flowers. The tree itself has a very hard wood that can be used in craft applications. The Crepe Myrtle tree, with the scientific name Lagerstroemia indica, can be as short as 3 feet or as tall as 200 feet at maturity depending on the species and how it is pruned. This hybrid crape myrtle grows as a tall bush up to 10 ft. (3 m) high. There are many predatory insects that feed on aphids such a ladybug beetles and green lacewings so avoid spraying broad spectrum insecticides that would destroy these beneficial insects. However, the American South was. And before that, you need to know the exact reasons to treat them properly. These reasons include changes in water, temperature, sunlight, soil quality, and chlorophyll levels. To prevent powdery mildew from happening, give plants sufficient light and air circulation. We never discussed crepe myrtles again. Getting rid of these critters will free your plant of the sooty mold and protect the tree from further harm. This fungal problem can re-appear every summer. "@type": "Answer", The fungus spores overwinter on fruit trees. It is a fast grower and annual pruning in winter is especially important to control size and form. For prevention, thoroughly spray trunks of susceptible plants nearby with diazinon, endosulfan (Thiodan), or chlorpyrifos (Dursban). The lesson from this is NOT to stop planting crepe myrtles. You may also see that the shrubs growth is stunted to some extent and blooming will be a lot less than normal. "What would be a good replacement that wouldn't get too big?". The multi-stemmed shrub-like trees fill front or backyards with flowers that bloom throughout the summer. Widely available, they can be found at most any nursery or garden center, and this is a great time to purchase them because you can see exactly what color you're getting. Crape myrtle flowers are clusters of small flowers with wrinkled petals. In warm zones and full sun, the tall crape myrtle shrubs reach 12 ft. (3.6 m). The compact shrub will grow in zones 5 and 6, but youll need to protect the top growth from frost damage. First, my crepe myrtle has been attacked by a common fungus called Cercospora leaf spot. Species of crape myrtle bushes can be small, compact dwarf shrubs or large, towering floral bushes. The vase-shaped growth has a wide-spreading crown that has dense, colorful foliage and flowers. Small white flowers bloom in the summer. Mmmmmm. Audacious spikes of pink, purple, white, and red flowers crown its sculptural branches for months in summer. 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