crepe myrtle hardiness

Can a crepe myrtle tree grow and do well in Michigan? One the web site it says zone 6-9 but it includes the state of Michigan

Doug says this is a shrub and I don't normally answer shrub questions on this site but... (see below)

Growing crepe myrtle in cold climates is a matter of two factors. The first is variety. There are some dwarf varieties that claim to be hardy to USDA zone 6 and some with native Indian names (names escape me at the moment) that also claim to be hardy to 6.

The second is micro-climate. If your garden is a warm 6 - you're going to be better off than if it's a cold 6 with these plants. In other words, touch and go depending on your garden and the winter itself. Get a bad one and your plant kills to the ground.

So get the right variety, grow it in a protected place and enjoy the experiment. However there's another way to do this plant.

And that's why I answered the question. I've grown a variety of shrubs like this as perennials in a USDA zone 5 (Can 5b) garden. They die to the ground in the winter and grow like stink in the summer. But they don't bloom normally unless they bloom on new wood. So you "can" do it but often it's a waste of good garden space.

I've not messed about with Crepe Myrtles so I can't give you any personal experience with it as a perennial. It does live nicely as a container plant if you protect it for the winter (go with the dwarf varieties).

Try it and let us know how you do. :-)

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crepe myrtle hardiness

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Crapes in Zone 6
by: Dave

I have been growing crapemyrtles in southeast Pennsylvania for 15 years. There are many varieties that grow well here and even develop into small to medium trees. Pink Velour is one of my favorites. Hopi, Tonto, Sarahs Favorite, and Acoma also do well. -8F is the coldest we've seen with little or no dieback.

Zone 6 here
by: Anonymous

I live in zone 6 (central KY). Most people seem to grow Crepe Myrtles as shrubs around here, but I wanted to see if I could encourage it into the tree-form.

The past few winters have gotten down to about -10 F at the lowest. I suspect a colder winter might kill the plant. Even here, twigs under 1/4" die in the winter, but the plant grows well enough that it still adds about a foot of height each growing season. As the article pointed out, Crepe Myrtles blossom on new wood (and mine does so prolifically), so winter die-back doesn't seem to be an issue.

Be aware that it will wait until the weather is nice and warm before waking up each spring, which around here means late May or early June... they do seem to bloom repeatedly until the weather gets cool, though.

The only pests I've had a problem with are the Japanese Beetles that eat the blossoms like cotton candy. They seem to ignore the foliage, so I'm not sure if the plant's vitality is affected. Even with a massive Cicada brood last summer, the Myrtle seemed to do alright.

Crepe Myrtle
by: Anonymous

I am in zone 7 so I can only tell you what I know. They are everywhere here. Medians, parking lots, sidewalks, peoples yards. I live by the Atlantic Ocean and it rains A LOT. No snow but plenty of freezing temps in the winter. It rains in the summer. It rains in the spring. It rains in Autumn and all winter. So in a way I would think they could handle snow. The snow would help keep it warm by insulating it during the cold season. The ones we see here are, I don't know, 12' or so?. I think you would be ok. It's worth a shot. They are beautiful.

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Doug Green