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Old 08-21-2022, 09:03 PM
 
Location: Redwood Shores, CA
1,651 posts, read 1,267,391 times
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I think this really can make my yard come to life. Is this a good tree to have? Will a cluster of about 20-30 of these trees look good? (lots of color for sure)
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Old 08-21-2022, 10:17 PM
 
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Looks like a crepe myrtle. There were lots in my neighborhood when I lived in Davis, CA. See if these photos look like the same thing.

https://www.thetreecenter.com/flower...-myrtle-trees/
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Old 08-21-2022, 10:28 PM
 
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Big bloomers this time of year.
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Old 08-21-2022, 11:40 PM
 
Location: Placer County
2,505 posts, read 2,727,889 times
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That's a crape myrtle. They come in a variety of colors so something for everyone. How big a space do you have to plant 20-30 of them? They can get pretty big. The one in my backyard is about 25 feet tall and about 15-20 feet wide so a group of 20-30 would need a lot of room. There are dwarf ones, too, as well as a shrub version.

Also be aware that they can be an aphid magnet so may need to be fed with an anti-aphid systemic food annually. If the aphids take over a tree they can kill it or at the least make a real mess of sticky aphid goop that gets all over everything under the tree. That's the only maintenance mine needs other than cleaning up the fall leaves which is easy.

I'm in Roseville and they're all over the area up here.
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Old 08-22-2022, 04:51 AM
 
Location: Redwood Shores, CA
1,651 posts, read 1,267,391 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by movinon View Post
That's a crape myrtle. They come in a variety of colors so something for everyone. How big a space do you have to plant 20-30 of them? They can get pretty big. The one in my backyard is about 25 feet tall and about 15-20 feet wide so a group of 20-30 would need a lot of room. There are dwarf ones, too, as well as a shrub version.

Also be aware that they can be an aphid magnet so may need to be fed with an anti-aphid systemic food annually. If the aphids take over a tree they can kill it or at the least make a real mess of sticky aphid goop that gets all over everything under the tree. That's the only maintenance mine needs other than cleaning up the fall leaves which is easy.

I'm in Roseville and they're all over the area up here.
I have a hill that is full of weed right now; up close it's a mess; from afar it looks OK but all green, kind of boring. I hope to give it some color; ideally year round but if not, long summer blossom would be nice.

Past couple years I had tried spreading 10 lbs of wild flower and golden poppy seeds on that hill, hoping to see a sea of color all over the hill in the summer. That strategy, while worked else where, did not work here. I think the resident weed is just too tough and crowded the flower plants out. I only see sporadic dots of color; virtually invisible from afar. So I think I want to try this tree.

What months of the year does crape myrtle take on color?

I googled and they are selling this tree for $60-100 per plant. Can this be grown from seeds? Or propagate in a less expensive way?

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Old 08-22-2022, 06:02 AM
Status: "Mistress of finance and foods." (set 14 days ago)
 
Location: Coastal Georgia
49,976 posts, read 63,301,795 times
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They bloom for most of the summer here in Georgia. Different colors bloom at slightly different times. They are wonderful, carefree trees. Do not ever prune them at the top. We call that “crape murder”. Just trim off lower side shoots when they are young.

If you can find smaller ones for less money, they are fast growers, so in a few years they will be full height.

I notice this California company has them for $25.
https://www.urbantreefarm.com/index....scription=true

Last edited by gentlearts; 08-22-2022 at 06:11 AM..
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Old 08-22-2022, 06:06 AM
 
Location: A Yankee in northeast TN
15,948 posts, read 20,911,244 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertFisher View Post
What months of the year does crape myrtle take on color?

I googled and they are selling this tree for $60-100 per plant. Can this be grown from seeds? Or propagate in a less expensive way?
This is a very, very common landscape tree, here in the south you can find one on practically every lot that's been built since the seventies or eighties. If you aren't wanting anything special you ought to be able to find them at reasonable prices everywhere from walmart to lowes. Also check the Arbor Day foundation, they give 10 free trees when you join, one of the options used to be 10 crape myrtles, don't know if that option is still available, or available in your area.
Just a warning that most of the crape myrtles you probably see are heavily pruned to maintain a certain shape. If that sounds like a lot of work with as many trees as you want, you might do some research to see what they look like if left natural.
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Old 08-22-2022, 06:35 AM
 
Location: Redwood Shores, CA
1,651 posts, read 1,267,391 times
Reputation: 1600
Quote:
Originally Posted by gentlearts View Post
They bloom for most of the summer here in Georgia. Different colors bloom at slightly different times. They are wonderful, carefree trees. Do not ever prune them at the top. We call that “crape murder”. Just trim off lower side shoots when they are young.

If you can find smaller ones for less money, they are fast growers, so in a few years they will be full height.

I notice this California company has them for $25.
https://www.urbantreefarm.com/index....scription=true
Oh this place is on my way to the place!! Don't even need delivery. And $25 is much more affordable...
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Old 08-22-2022, 07:23 AM
 
Location: NJ
23,789 posts, read 33,241,911 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertFisher View Post
I have a hill that is full of weed right now; up close it's a mess; from afar it looks OK but all green, kind of boring. I hope to give it some color; ideally year round but if not, long summer blossom would be nice.

Past couple years I had tried spreading 10 lbs of wild flower and golden poppy seeds on that hill, hoping to see a sea of color all over the hill in the summer. That strategy, while worked else where, did not work here. I think the resident weed is just too tough and crowded the flower plants out. I only see sporadic dots of color; virtually invisible from afar. So I think I want to try this tree.

What months of the year does crape myrtle take on color?

I googled and they are selling this tree for $60-100 per plant. Can this be grown from seeds? Or propagate in a less expensive way?

Attachment 238811

I had a friend in Georgia who was able to propagate them from cuttings. She sent me some purple with yellow eye that grew into a tree. She used to sell plants at flea markets down there. Lost track of her, she doesn't do Facebook, her mother does.

In 2009, my hub brought home the fire cracker red and a white (I think natchez) from his vacation to Tennessee that both want to be bushes, not trees so watch what variety you buy, some just want to be bushes that could eventually grow to be a small tree with many shoots which is what I think the white is doing. The red looks like it will be a bush, the shoots are close together where the white has less shoots that vase out like the multiple trunk crepe myrtle trees do. I had a neighbor that also had a white crepe myrtle tree that was young that eventually the trunk died, it started sending shoots up, her landscaper trashed it, planted a boring tree in it's place.

The red one struggled for many years, then about year 8 it took off growing crazy tall. It's very happy now. It puts on a huge show and if you like red, may be a good one.

The white my neighbor pruned to make a tree with 3 trunks that ended up dying. Every time I'd try to prune them away to make a tree, that trunk would die. I eventually just left it alone to be a bush.

We just moved out in June or I'd take pics for you. I wouldn't buy the red again because it's more of a bush. I want a specific pink tree one that not many people have, it's more of a shocking pink. There's also a rust colored one that not many people have.


Perennials that took over my yard are black eyed Susan that I planted from a plant, not seeds, the orange double daylily Kwanza, loose strife, spider wart, purple grows like a weed choking everything in it's path, columbine, rose campion, a two toned purple violet, plus purple baptista. If we didn't sell I'd send you seeds and plants. Crocosuma lucifer, another weed type plant for me. I also had some black gamecock iris that were like weeds.

An annual cleomi has some how followed me from every house since the 90's. I only took 2 roses with me, I was shocked to see cleomi come up in one pot lol

Last edited by Roselvr; 08-22-2022 at 07:33 AM..
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Old 08-22-2022, 07:30 AM
 
Location: Virginia
10,044 posts, read 6,311,418 times
Reputation: 27507
Quote:
Originally Posted by RobertFisher View Post
Oh this place is on my way to the place!! Don't even need delivery. And $25 is much more affordable...
Please do remember that crape myrtles need to be properly pruned (at the right time) to be healthy and maintain a good shape. If you're not sure how to do this, consult your county extension agent's office or local group of Master Gardeners for guidance.
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