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Who knows about Crepe Myrtles?

So I have what is supposed to be a Natchez Crepe Myrtle in my back your. I planted it a couple of years ago when it was about four feet high. It now reaches about 12 feet. Anyway, Natchez Crepe Myrtles are supposed to have white flowers but mine has white and pink flowers. it was like this last year also. I would say that it is roughly half white and half pink. I am pretty sure it's a Natchez Crepe Myrtle because it exhibits all the other manifestations of a Natchez...cinnamon colored back in the fall...the bark rolls up and peels up in the fall...etc. Does anyone have any idea why it does this? A couple of pics below...the full pic of the tree isn't great, sorry, it was getting dark.

$Crepe Myrtle 1.jpg$Crepe Myrtle 2.jpg
 
Was the original tree grafted by any chance? If it was, and you planted the graft area (an obvious bulge) below the soil, new growth will sprout from the root system of the rootstock. Sometimes that will create 2 different kinds of flowers, or could kill off the top desired part altogether.

It could be something with the soil too.
 

BigFoot

I wanna be sedated!
Staff member
I don't have any Natchez Don so I am not sure. Everything I find on the Natchez says the flowers should only be white.
 
Was the original tree grafted by any chance? If it was, and you planted the graft area (an obvious bulge) below the soil, new growth will sprout from the root system of the rootstock. Sometimes that will create 2 different kinds of flowers, or could kill off the top desired part altogether.

It could be something with the soil too.

The wife came home with the tree a couple of years ago from one of our local nurseries. It doesn't really matter either way I guess, the tree is pretty, and is very happy and full where it is at. It was more of a curiosity I guess. As [MENTION=33268]BigFoot[/MENTION] said...Natchez Crepe Myrtles are supposed to be all white.

Thanks for all the help guys!
 
Looks like there are many varieties of crepe myrtle, including several with pink flowers:

http://thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2013/05/23/choose-a-smaller-crepe-myrtle/

Thanks [MENTION=86594]Rory1262[/MENTION] Actuall most of what we have in Louisiana I would venture to say have pink or white flowers. Some have red and I have seen purple also. The one I have (supposedly a Natchez) is only supposed to have white flowers, but in fact have white and pink. I have no problem with how big it will get and we are very happy with the growth of it. It displays other visuals that suggest it is a Natchez Crepe Myrtle like it has a cinnamon colored bark in the fall and it peels off or rolls of kind of like a birch tree in the fall also. It is a very pretty tree. The wife kind of likes the fact that it dual colored. I was just wondering if someone else has encountered this before. Thanks for all the help guys!
 
In the wild wacky world of nature strange things happen.

I have a camellia that has pink, white, pink with white strips, and white with pink striped flowers. All on the same shrub. It was a BIG bush when we bought the house 30 years ago and now has become a MONSTER. Nice flowers though :yesnod:
 
Crepe Myrtles are beautiful. I have 2 established trees and 1 more that is starting to get really good. 2 others are still "infants," barely a 1/2 foot high. And another that I am currently trying to root. None of these were purchased, all came from ones that were dug up from a nearby tree or rooted with rooting hormone.
Beautiful flowers and lovely bark.
 
Are the same branches only white or pink each year or do you have white and pink blossoms on the same branch? If you have one stem producing white and another pink it is likely from the graft as Edcculus said. The tree might have been propagated by grafting a Natchez branch to another variety root. Sometimes the rootstock grows a branch (that should have been removed at the nursery) with the grafted branch and you will have two varieties in one plant.

If the white and pink are mixed throughout the tree you might have a new variety, I'm not aware of mixed colored plants. If the tree was propagated by seed it is possible to come up with something new and different.

In any case, Crape Myrtles are great trees. Thanks to global warming :wink2: I have a beautiful Natchez as a street tree in Brooklyn, NY.

Tom
 
Pretty. I wonder if they'd survive winter here?

You're close. Pittsburgh is zone 6b, their upper limit was zone 7. NYC is zone 7b. They do well here with some dieback with a bad winter. Check the local nurseries and see what they say. 30 years ago they were a no here but things are milder now.

Tom

H-B.O.M.B.
 
I am no horticulturist, but my guess is that the colors represent male and female counterparts?

Nope. The plants are propagated for various traits such as height, form, flower color, etc. The cultivar should exhibit the traits specific for that variety. In this case the tree should have white blossoms and cinnamon/flaky bark. Sometimes you get a mislabeled plant or something off with a young plant from the nursery but a cultivar should have the traits you wanted when you purchased the plant.

Tom


H-B.O.M.B.
 
You're close. Pittsburgh is zone 6b, their upper limit was zone 7. NYC is zone 7b. They do well here with some dieback with a bad winter. Check the local nurseries and see what they say. 30 years ago they were a no here but things are milder now.

Tom

Thanks, I'll look into it.
 
Are the same branches only white or pink each year or do you have white and pink blossoms on the same branch? If you have one stem producing white and another pink it is likely from the graft as Edcculus said. The tree might have been propagated by grafting a Natchez branch to another variety root. Sometimes the rootstock grows a branch (that should have been removed at the nursery) with the grafted branch and you will have two varieties in one plant.

If the white and pink are mixed throughout the tree you might have a new variety, I'm not aware of mixed colored plants. If the tree was propagated by seed it is possible to come up with something new and different.

In any case, Crape Myrtles are great trees. Thanks to global warming :wink2: I have a beautiful Natchez as a street tree in Brooklyn, NY.

Tom

That makes a lot of sense. As far as the flowers go...It seems that the white flowers stay to one area and the pink flowers are on another area. I think. I will go out in the morning and take a look.

Either way, the tree is healthy and beautiful and I certainly wouldn't want to get rid of it...not that I could probably...those trees are super hearty. Thanks for all the help.
 
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nortac

"Can't Raise an Eyebrow"
I have white flowered and pink flowered Crepe Myrtles all over my property in Louisiana. I have a love/hate relationship with them. They are very beautiful but also very invasive and the larger ones have roots from hell. Very difficult to get rid of once they are established. What ever you do, Do Not plant them anywhere near an in ground swimming pool, their roots will travel to the water source and invade the gunite and loosen the tiles. The peeling of the bark is natural and adds to their beauty/nuisance!
 
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