Q: There’s white stuff all over my crape myrtle foliage and flowers. I’ve never seen it this bad. What is it, and what can I do about it? A: Powdery mildew is the culprit, and it seems to be abundant ...

For 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 ...

Not long ago, I received the following email: “I have two crape myrtle trees in my front yard, one about 25 years old and one about 10 years old. They are in full sun. They usually bloom later than ...

Crape myrtles are beginning to bloom now in south Louisiana, and they’ll continue into September. So LSU horticulturist Dan Gill has some suggestions for caring for your crape myrtles throughout the ...

Crape Myrtles are easy to grow. They are also the state’s official shrub. “I’m so excited and I just can’t hide it!” These words are meant to be sung loudly. This song was recorded in 1982 by The ...

Question: Several crape myrtles in our yard are shedding lots of bark. Is this normal? Answer: Not only are crape myrtles with shedding bark normal — but beautiful. Often under the outer layer of old ...

Stop fertilizing and reduce watering in fall to help crepe myrtles transition into winter dormancy. Fall is prime time to plant new crepe myrtles and prep existing ones with mulch and pest control.

I usually wait until mid-January to write something on this topic but this week I saw my first severe pruning of a crape myrtle for this dormant season earlier this month. So, instead of visions of ...

Crape myrtles have it all, from beautiful summer blooms to low water needs. Question: While driving along Main Street in Sebastopol last week, I was struck by the beauty of the stately trees with ...