Hi,
I have three crape myrtle bushes and I'm not sure of their names. The one that I've had for a few years has leaf buds sprouting from the old branches. The new ones I got last year have nothing coming from the branches, but new sprouts coming up from the base. We bought the two new ones b/c they are supposed to get really big (and hide our neighbors' yard!). Is it normal for new sprouts to shoot out before the leaf buds? Please tell me these bushes don't start over and over each year! Thanks!
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bullthistle
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1152
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:26 am
- Location: North Carolina
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bullthistle
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1152
- Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:26 am
- Location: North Carolina
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uniquegardenplants
- Full Member
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 8:36 pm
- Location: North Carolina
Scratch the branch tips and look for green. Keep going down the branches toward the base and scratch periodically. If you're seeing green underneath the bark, then it is alive and should break dormancy. If the branches are brittle and brown in the center, they are probably dead. BullThistle is right..looks like it got hit by the cold and knocked back to it's roots. You may be in a touchy area for growing crepe myrtles, this might be something you will contend with being in a colder region that Crepe's are typically grown, Zone 7 or warmer. A cold zone 6 winter can cause some damage such as this.