Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Wednesday - March 23, 2011
From: Raleigh, NC
Region: Southeast
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Problems with non-native crape myrtle from Raleigh NC
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I have two crepe myrtles that were planted last year, did well all summer long. We had some freezing weather and this spring their buds are brown with little white flakes(very sparingly) and no leaves. Are they dead or is there something I can do to revive them ?ANSWER:
What you have is Lagerstroemia indica, crape myrtle, as described in this Floridata article. The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is dedicated to the growth, protection and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the areas in which they are being grown. Lagerstroemia indica originated in Asia, and therefore falls out of our area of expertise and does not appear in our Native Plant Database. Gardening Know How has a website Information on Crepe Myrtle Tree Problems Auburn University Horticulture Common Crapemyrtle has information on several problems you might be expriencing.
More Non-Natives Questions
Identification of insects on crepe myrtle in Florida
May 22, 2013 - I have large colonies of striped bugs on large crepe myrtle in my backyard. They stay in large groups and have long antennae. There are larger black bugs among the groups that appear to corral and g...
view the full question and answer
Problems with non-native mimosa
August 29, 2008 - We have 2 large mimosa trees in front of our house that are close to 50 years old. They have not been cared for over the past 8 years (we did not live here). This year, I trimmed them, removed dead ...
view the full question and answer
Containing Japanese Wisteria Roots
November 22, 2015 - I have some Japanese wisteria plants that I would like to plant inside root barriers but I cannot find any info on how deep the roots go. Do you know if a 2 ft deep root barrier for trees can contain ...
view the full question and answer
Loss of leaves from globe willows in Utah
July 26, 2008 - I have four globe willows that have been in my back yard for the past 6 years. For the past month they have been losing their leaves from the bottom up. We had aphids in some of our other trees and ...
view the full question and answer
Non-native, invasive bamboo for sloped river bank in Texas?
April 01, 2010 - What type of native plants/trees/shrubs/grasses would you recommend planting on a 20 ft sloped bank on the Colorado river in Texas to prevent further erosion of the bank? How do you feel about bamboo?...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |