Landscaping Suggestions With Crape Myrtle Trees

Mass Planting

• Although crape myrtles are often thought of as trees, the broad spectrum of species and cultivars of crape myrtles includes short, multitrunked specimens that work well massed together. They can all be the same variety, but by taking advantage of the full spectrum of available crape myrtle bloom colors, you can have a large blooming hedge or border with reds, purples, pinks, oranges, yellows and whites. Different varieties will also have slightly different heights and shapes, so a mix of color is best used in informal borders.

Focal Point

• The tree form, or single-trunk crape myrtle makes a lovely focal point for a garden. The exfoliating bark (that come in grays and reds) and handsome shape of the tree even looks stunning in winter. And with varieties showcasing golden leaves in fall and lovely blooms in spring and summer, crape myrtles are show-stealers in the landscape every season of the year.

Green Home Planting

• Large specimens of crape myrtle (30 feet or more) give the same advantage that any deciduous tree gives when planted on the southern side of the home. It provides shade to the hottest side of the house when the weather is hot, cooling the home for free. Then in winter, when the crape myrtle drops its leaves, the sun can shine through the branches to warm the home. But crepe myrtles give the added advantage of showy blossoms.

Considerations

• Whether you use your crepe myrtle in masses, near fences, as a focal point or next to the home, be sure not to crowd it. Don't plant them right up against a fence or wall, or jammed up close to one another or neighboring plants. Crepe myrtles need plentiful circulation to avoid fungal disease, and too much shade will make them bend toward the light. To enjoy the most of their winter shape, when the leaves are gone, they need ample space to grow. Find out the maximum width the tree will grow to, and center the tree so that none of the branches will be cramped when it reaches its full size.