[tomwed]

I have an Alamanda style house. The front would be a nice place to sit if it had some shade. It faces west.

I love older crepe myrtles especially in the winter when the leaves are gone. There are some magnificent trees on the execs in the north end of town. But I don't want to wait 20 years. Can I buy a more mature tree?

Has anyone hired a professional to plant a more mature Crepe Myrtle? I know I can google it and call around as a last resort if no one has any first hand experience.

thank-you you in advance

[Bonanza]

We had a very nice one planted by Earthscapes on Rt. 44. Ours is a standard (single trunk) but a multi-trunk one would serve your purpose very well. 352-748-0351

Good luck in your search.

[PaPaLarry]

I bought two at Fairfield Nursery on route 301. You pick it out, and they deliver and plant it.

[DougB]

How much shade do you get from a crepe myrtle?

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by DougB

How much shade do you get from a crepe myrtle?

It depends on the type of Crepe Myrtle. I have a Natchez, it has the white flower, it grows to 30ft tall with a very wide canopy which falls like a large umbrella. Mine is 9 yrs old and is considered a mature Myrtle, it is definitely a shade tree and in the early evening gives great shade on my patio. I also have two specimen Myrtles, one red and one pale pink, they both grow upwards and give no shade at all, no matter how mature they get, they will never be shade trees. So, my advice (for what it is worth) is for someone who wants a Myrtle for shade to get into a Florida U. website and do some research before going out and buying.

[bagboy]

Originally Posted by PaPaLarry

I bought two at Fairfield Nursery on route 301. You pick it out, and they deliver and plant it.

I believe Fairfield Nursery is at least the first place to start...they have always been helpful and informative when I've shopped there.

[DougB]

Originally Posted by Madelaine Amee

It depends on the type of Crepe Myrtle. I have a Natchez, it has the white flower, it grows to 30ft tall with a very wide canopy which falls like a large umbrella. Mine is 9 yrs old and is considered a mature Myrtle, it is definitely a shade tree and in the early evening gives great shade on my patio. I also have two specimen Myrtles, one red and one pale pink, they both grow upwards and give no shade at all, no matter how mature they get, they will never be shade trees. So, my advice (for what it is worth) is for someone who wants a Myrtle for shade to get into a Florida U. website and do some research before going out and buying.

Thanks, gives me something to look forward to in my old age. I have white flowers also but only about 12 ft. high. No shade at all.

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by DougB

Thanks, gives me something to look forward to in my old age. I have white flowers also but only about 12 ft. high. No shade at all.

Doug, I certainly hope you are not going to be in your old age before your Myrtle grows up! We had ours planted at over 12ft tall. How old is your tree and is it a Natchez? Mine started slow and gained height very quickly during the last three years. It has three trunks and all of them are too big for me to close both hands around them. Right now they are shedding their old bark and showing the new mahogany colored bark underneath. It's like a snake shedding it's skin! I work on my Myrtle, I prune it early in the year to open up the canopy, we take out the small branches and leave the big branches and keep taking off the small branches throughout the year to open the canopy and get the shape we want. My two specimen Myrtles have very thin trunks and branches and do not look like my white Natchez at all. The Natchez is a real tree. Check out this picture of a Natchez. Buy Natchez Crape Myrtle Online | The Tree Center

[Jima64]

If you want shade please do not cut the tree back each year like some people do. Our tree is at least 25 feet tall and 35 feet across with great shade. We bought this tree 12 years ago when it was mayne 10 feet tall. It is a multi trunk tree. Best thing we did was to not prune it back. Water it several times a week for the first season.

[PaPaLarry]

I think we were told, there were three (3) different size Myrtle Trees!!!

[tomwed]

Thank-you all very much.
Have you ever seen the Crepe Myrtles on Chula Vista before the 6th tee I think. It's a cluster of 6 or 8 trees, just beautiful. They stand out and in the winter, when the leaves fall they look like sculpture.

[Madelaine Amee]

Originally Posted by Jima64

If you want shade please do not cut the tree back each year like some people do. Our tree is at least 25 feet tall and 35 feet across with great shade. We bought this tree 12 years ago when it was mayne 10 feet tall. It is a multi trunk tree. Best thing we did was to not prune it back. Water it several times a week for the first season.

I believe you are talking about what is commonly referred to as "crepe murder" where the branches are cut back to the main trunk. Makes me sick to see people do this to these trees. There are a couple of neighbors in my street who are trying to bring back two myrtles from that form of pruning, but it seems that you can never quite get the shape back again. When I talk about pruning mine, we take off maybe a foot or so, when needed, and thin out the fine branches on the canopy. Ours has become so big that it was overhanging our roof line and the squirrels were running up the tree and onto the roof which made my husband very concerned about squirrels getting into the attic.

The finest examples of Natchez Crepe Myrtles I have ever seen are planted at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, in a courtyard. They must be 50ft tall and fill the courtyard with natural shade. They are beautiful trees when grown correctly.

I should add that any suckers that appear at the base of the tree need to come off, they are just taking energy from the tree ............. mine tries to grow a sucker or two early in the year and I just rub them off with my thumb.