Peppermint Crape Myrtle? Natchez White or Red Crape Myrtles?

I have a very long drive way, as well as, a long walk way to my front door. I am looking for a tree that I can plant on each side to form a canopy. Oaks are too big and the roots would eventual crack up my driveway. I love the peppermint crapes but will they get tall enough? Are they mildew risistant? How far apart should I space them? I noticed on e bay that Sutten Farms has 25 pepermint crape myrtles for 50 bucks. I measured my drive and if I spaced them 12 feet apart, I would need about 50 plants. 25 for 50 bucks is about as cheap as I am going to find them, unless I try growing from seeds. Any suggestions other than using Crape Myrtles.

Donna

Cercis 'Oklahoma', unless you have moist soil, but since you're considering Crape Myrtles the Cersis should be fine. You will only get spring bloom, but they are perhaps my favorite tree. Gentle roots, not too big, awsome for an alee (such as a long drive), shiny heart-shpaed leaves, interesting angular black winter branching.......

K

Oh, and by the way, you may even be able to get bare-root whips during bare-root season there (it's January for us, but I don't know when your bare-root stock is available). Check with a local nursery, you may be able to "pre-order" bare-root stock at a discount. It's worth a try!

K

Many thanks. I hadn't thought about red buds. They are pretty.
Donna

You might consider 'Winter King' Hawthorn. You get true multi-season interest in a tree that does not get real big and has a nice martini glass shape. You get a nice white flower in Spring, pretty green foliage in Summer, decent yellow Fall color and then the real fun starts. You get tons of berries that range from coral to red. The birds are not crazy about them so you get to look at it all winter. Imagine that as a canopy! In addition, as it ages the trunk starts to exfoliate. It is resistant to rust but you will get some. Check my photos of mine. Good luck!

Victor

Donna, CM Peppermint Lace is my absolute fave! Since I've only had them for 3 years, I can't say how tall they will get, mine are at about 6-7 at present. PF says they get 10-15 ft, which would make them a small tree. When in full bloom the white edge on the pink flower really stands out.

I grow them in tree form, one of my neighbors trims them as bushes. Both looks are nice. $2 ea sounds pretty cheap, must be tiny, but if you have the time, I'd go that way.

I adore redbuds also. Also love dogwoods, but they don't like my property much. Not acid enough, not moist enough.

First, consider fruit and/or flower litter if the trees will canopy your driveway. Something "mess-less" like Carpinus, Ostrya, Parrotia, or male Diospyros might be a better choice than crapes or dogwoods or haws.

Second, if you are planting a formal allee, remember that trees grow and die. I always try to avoid monocultures and uniform spacings and straight lines with trees, because once you lose one the formal effect is flawed forever. Be more creative -- consider a mixture of species that will give interest at different times, placed in informal groups that still will canopy your drive, but like you're driving through a forest rather than down an allee.

Third, if you ABSOLUTELY MUST plant in monocultures and formal rows (but please don't!), make sure that you use something long-lived and resilient. That leaves out things like redbuds and dogwoods, which can be subject to diseases, and once again brings to mind Carpinus, Ostrya, Parrotia, and male Diospyros (and others).

Guy S.

Do plant Crepes - Dont buy from The S Farm on EBay unless you are wanting 6 in tall plants to start with. (I bought them and they are growing but very small and will take a while to be set out. )