Three Crepe Myrtles In the Garden

From In the Garden

Crepe myrtles and Japanese maples are my favorite small trees in the garden. I love them both and really can't choose one over the other because they both offer so much to the gardener and to the home. Here at Tiger Gardens we have about eighteen crepe myrtles but I'm only showing you three today

All of my crepes (ranging in size from two feet to 25+) were bought as markdowns at either Walmart, Lowes or Home Depot (which are my places to shop for plants). If I could I'd have more crepes in my garden. Why don't I have more crepe myrtles? I really don't have the right conditions for crepe myrtles here due to not having full sun on my property, but fortunately the Japanese maples don't mind the shaded conditions here and they do fairly well. I guess that fact alone helps to edge out the crepes for first place leaving the Japanese maples as my favorite small tree. It helps that the Japanese maples never show drought stress. Additionally, I've seen some stress in a few crepes this year but that is not a usual occurrence. Nonetheless, it is crepe myrtle season and I have never seen my few crepes looking better!

'Byer's Wonderful White' (pictured above) has to be one of my favorites due to its fabulous fall color. This small tree sited next to the road in a prominent spot out front positively glows orange in the fall. It is one of the few orange colored fall trees here in my garden. The white flowers are just an added bonus. This crepe is not to be confused with the more common 'Natchez' crepe myrtle (also growing here and a nice variety) because Natchez does not usually get such a brilliant orange color like the Byer's (at least not in my gardens). Other than that there doesn't seem to be any other differences because the flowers look similar on both trees.

From In the Garden

Here are two of the three red flowering crepes growing in my garden. This is the largest and best flowering year of all the crepes (I've been trying to grow these trees for more than six years now) in my garden and I am reminded each day what a good decision it was to plant them all. Every single crepe myrtle growing here was at one time a markdown. Most came from Walmart and were in 3 gallon pots marked down to as low as $2.50! I cannot pass up any tree at that price so I wound up with a good variety. I am not sure of the cultivars of the two red crepe myrtles pictured above but they are different and doing well in difficult situations. The red one right behind the chainlink fence is growing in a raised bed and has done fabulously! I never have to water it or the other red crepe behind and to the right of it. they both grow in mostly sun and gravelly soil that was at one time part of the driveway/parking area. Crepe myrtles are very drought tolerant but I've had to water a few this year though none in this post. I've found the ones I need to water are in mainly full sun and not as well established as these crepes I'm showing you today.

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Lastly I think I'll show my 'House Tree'. I debated planting a tree so close to the house but in the end my desire for some interest in this corner and on the southern side of the porch won out. I chose a crepe myrtle because normally these trees are small to medium sized and their root system is not so invasive that it would destroy a house foundation. This particular variety is 'Biloxi'. When I check any good reference on crepe myrtle cultivars I find 'Biloxi' is one of the largest crepe myrtles available. Oops. The tree has really grown the last few years. It's been growing in this spot since late 2003 and was a markdown purchase along with the 'Byer's Wonderful White'. I do have to limb up 'Biloxi' but pruning it has not been a major undertaking and the tree has not caused any problems with the house since I prune all limbs off from the house. I prune all my crepes here except one into the tree form. The one that is growing as a shrub is in the roadside border and is in very shaded conditions so I leave as many leaves as I can. The one thing I do not like about crepes being so close to the house is the fact that all the petals fall into the gutter. This was an unforeseen situation and I would warn anyone else out there thinking about planting crepes to consider where the petals will fall.

While 'Biloxi' is a very large crepe it has stayed in scale with the house and my fireplace due to the dormer providing a backdrop for this crepe myrtle. A bonus is the shade it provides to the porch, sidewalk, and foundation bed. Biloxi has sweet pink blooms and knock 'em dead mottled cinnamon bark. The 'Biloxi' tree trunk makes a great backdrop on the southern edge of the porch. I think this tree above any other landscaping within my garden is what really ties my house to my garden and vice versa. Hence, I have a 'House Tree'....or a 'Tree House'....

in the garden....

What kinds of crepe myrtles are your favorite and why?

Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden