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Re: Crepe myrtles

Hi Scott,
I started growing  L. indica ' Firebird' in a 1/2 whiskey barrel and haul
it into the garage in winter.  Last winter there was no die back at all.  I
pruned it only to emphasis a tree-like shape.  My plan is to prune each
spring only enough to  make it manageable.  If I am lucky, in another 4
years I will have the lovely peeling bark on the trunk.  If I am really
lucky, some of the branches will survive to produce the bark as well.
I am going to plant a second barrel with the cultivar 'Tonto', and haul it
in and out as well.  It is another L. faurei hybrid (the one available at
my nursery).
Is it possible that your plant is in a cold spot?  A low area or a spot
right nest to a solid-all-the-way-to-the-ground fence may be holding extra
cold near the trunk.

Several gardeners at the Missouri Botanical Garden have told me that I will
not get that lovely bark in this area.  However, I have seen mature crepe
myrtles and they are lovely.  I am willing to keep trying.

Lisa
Waterloo, IL


>I've had several crepe myrtles in my St Louis garden which reliably regrow and
>flower well after being cut to the ground in the early spring.  However, I
>also am aware of the beautiful bark of some of the cultivars, esp. L. faurei
>cultivars.  Last year, I pruned all the other shoots to maintain one strong
>leader from a L. faurei cultivar called 'Townhouse'.  It grew very well and
>had an approximately 10-foot leader by the end of the single growing season
>(1-inch caliber).  But, despite a very mild winter, it sprouted only from the
>base, with absolutely no growth on last season's leader.  Though this is just
>anecdotal evidence, I'm not very optimistic about ever seeing any beautiful
>crepe myrtle trunks in my yard.
>
>        -Scott in St Louis
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