Texas Gardening: Why did my Crape Myrtle change colors?, 0 by DaleTheGardener

DaleTheGardener wrote:
G Gal,

Flower color is the results of minerals that the plant takes up from the soil, also genetics. Maybe this plant needs to store up the stuff to make red flowers? We have Dynamite here in Florida too and the flowers stay red with the second flush of bloom. Cloudy weather? Not noticed any change, but, I am not keeping detailed records.

I know central TX has heavy black clay for the most part. In clay soils many minerals get bound up (chemically), especially when it gets dry. Here in FL we have sandy acid soil with high summer rainfalls (18" in the last 10 days).

One of the best things you can do for any flowering plants is cover the ground around the drip line with compost and then mulch. Live Oak leaves are one of the best mulches, Cedar mulch is one of the worst (high in tannin? or something like that).

I just plant coleus for summer color, Beckwith's Gem>