Crape Myrtle Question

So far I have been told yes by 3 people, but I am worried that they are all just trying to make a sale. I want to plant a Nantchez Crepe Myrtle about 3 feet from the house. Is this safe? Will the roots ruin my house foundation? Can anyone offer any replacement plant/ tree? I am trying to create height on 1 side of my home, and do not want to use the typical junipers that everyone around here seems to plant. I am in zone 6.

Have you looked at "Acoma"? It is similar to "Natchez" but stays a little smaller.

I think you're OK from the root standpoint, but I think it'll get wider than that, and you don't really want tree/shrub branches running right up against the house. Do you have an option to plant it a little farther away, maybe 5-6 ft from the house?

Unfortunatly, I don't have an option to plant father because that marks my property line. The houses are about 11 feet apart, but the way my neighbors house sits on their lot, only leaves 3 feet on my side.

Cory, are you on a slab or crawlspace, and where are your water/sewer lines? Those all play a critical role in answering the question of "can I plant a CM (or anythingi else with a long taproot) here?"

We are on a crawlspace. The utility lines are nowhere in the area. I had them all marked, and all are at least 45 feet away.

Just remember, wherever you plant a Lagerstroemia (aka Crape/Crepe Myrtle), it's there to stay. It took three men several hours on the business end of a pickaxe, and finally using a come-along on our half-ton pickup to pull out a 10-year-old CM that was planted smack-dab next to the carport by the former owners.

That tap root is still down there, pushing up suckers every year (going on 7 year now.)

The crawl-space probably won't be a problem for the CM, but it can be for trees and shrubs with sprawling root systems. (You guessed it - we've done our share of misplaced tree/shrub removal at this location, which is just down I-24 from you ;o)

Thanks Terry for the wonderful insight. I think what I am going to do to add some height to the house is to put up a trellis on that side of the yard and allow clematis to grow up the trellis. Not only would that add height, but it would also disguise a downspout.

You're welcome! I love Crepe Myrtles, and have planted several of them at various homes over the years, but trying to remove that badly-placed one left a sour taste in my mouth for them. (The people who lived here either planted a bunch of stuff at the same time, and/or didn't give much thought to sun/shade requirements, spacing, aesthetics, etc. Some stuff was crammed together, other stuff is planted on a "grid" from all appearances, and other places were completely bereft of plantings, even though they lived here for 20 years.

For example, another (pink, unnamed) CM is planted between a Foster holly and silver maple (don't even get me started on the four gigantic Acer saccharinums on this place, other than I have two words for them: trash trees.) The poor pink CM is almost completely shaded, so it's lankier than it should be, and contorted trying to reach some sunlight. We have an acre-plus, and quite a bit of sun in the back yard, so it's not like they had to cram it in that spot just to have one...sigh.

Never say never, but I'm hard-pressed to consider buying another "existing" home with mature trees. I think starting from scratch has a LOT of merit. I'll certainly have a keener eye if we consider a home with existing trees and shrubs, as I know now that can be a mixed blessing, to say the least.

A Nantchez Crepe Myrtle is about the biggest CM you can get. Mature their about 12ft tall and wide maybe more. answer to your question is no.

I didn`t know they had invasive roots, mine are dieing I think, they havent bloomed yet. Wet feet i think, so i need to try to dig them out as they were just planted a month ago, they never budded out, not sure if i was supposed to water them while they were still dormant but it was warm, very warm. You guys know what i can do to save them? I had one huge one right up to my foundation that was 40 years old and it did nothing.

For the ones you just planted, I wouldn't give up on them yet--I have one in a pot that I didn't get into the garden last fall, and it just leafed out a couple weeks ago, and since you're a zone colder than me it could be a little behind. Plus they may be spending some energy on root growth which could make them a little slow to leaf out. Definitely make sure you're not overwatering them, but you don't want the soil to dry out either so if you stick your finger down a couple inches and it feels dry then go ahead and water them.

Thanks, I had them planted in 25 gallon containers with the bottoms cut out and drain whole and wire bottoms for gophers but I think it retained to much water in the ground in a container so i cut the giant containers apart and put the wire down and replanted it with more mulch that was dry. We`l see, I want to think you are right and mine were in containers too. Sorry to jack the thread.

Here is a picture of a Natchez Crepe Myrtle taken at the Norfolk Botanical Garden. It sure does not look like something that I would want planted 3' from the corner of my house.

- Brent

they don`t grow them that big here. My 40 year old one was huge and half as big as that one, must be a different variety here. Wisteria don`t go nuts here either so I guess it depends on your growing conditions.

There are about a billion different crape myrtle cultivars and they come in a wide range of sizes, anywhere from dwarf ones that stay as smallish shrubs all the way to bigger trees. Growing conditions will contribute too, but more than likely your 40 yr old tree was a different cultivar--I think the hybrids like Natchez have been developed more recently for improved resistance to powdery mildew and things like that.

"Natchez" and "Muskogee" are the two biggest ones I know of.

I don`t know what kind ours are, I`ll have to look but they are not like that. Ours are actually zeriscape small trees or shrubs.

I have two Crape Myrtles that leafed out late and now they are all curled up and dry. I do not know if they are getting too much water or not enough. I have them partially above ground level because of the clay, so the stuff under will breakdown eventually and it will sink into better soil but I`m not sure if that may be the problem A big root is partially exposed? help How can I save them?

I keep my neighbors alive with my inground sprinkler system. They are planted right on the property line. I wish they would die. I've been mad ever since she planted them so close to my young red maple (bloodgood) tree. Now it's not doing too good.

thanks. i hate when that happens. my neighbor once planted this mulberry tree right on my chain link fence line and between two carports as if the tree would stay an inch thick.

There are websites you can visit that will give you a description of crape myrtles, including size at maturity, growth habit, bloom color, fall leaf color, etc. Just query "crape myrtles" on Ask.com or Google

thanks still alive with one living branch but no leaves or flowers.