Crape Myrtle??? - Ask Extension
I’d like to know if this bush is a crape Myrtle. I didn’t plant it. I noticed it this spring and it’s growing fast. Regarding the picture of 2 b...
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Crape Myrtle??? #881231
Asked August 12, 2024, 7:41 PM EDT
I’d like to know if this bush is a crape Myrtle. I didn’t plant it. I noticed it this spring and it’s growing fast. Regarding the picture of 2 branches, the longer branch was snipped from a mature crape Myrtle bush 3 feet away from the flower bed where the unplanted bush appeared. Are they the same bush? If so, how did the un-planted one appear in the flower bed?
New Castle County Delaware
Expert Response
Yes, it is a crape myrtle. The popular tree/shrub can reproduce from the seeds it generates in the fall and often can send up seedlings from its roots. I have several crape myrtles in my yard, one in particular, a white one in the front yard, south facing is quite mature and in a nearby flower bed, I see new seedlings starting all the time. I have also cut down a couple crape myrtles, one that was blocking a pathway, only to find new plants emerging from the roots, quite far away from the trunk area.
Your new sprout is very likely to be an offspring of the more mature tree. You can dig it up in the fall and replant to a different location or discard.
Your new sprout is very likely to be an offspring of the more mature tree. You can dig it up in the fall and replant to a different location or discard.
