Crepe Myrtle

ColinFraser

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OK, I admit it; I'm still in the "collect the whole set" phase of my bonsai hobby. My only defense is that I'm finding out what works in my conditions and what I enjoy working on. I also may be turning into a bonsai terrorist - beheading everything in sight!

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erb.75

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i've thought about crepe myrtles for years...do you have others? how do they do for you or is this your first one?
 

erb.75

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you'll probably have a lot of nice bonsai in the next couple years if you're willing to hack them back and baby sit them until they become nice!
 

Bunjeh

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Funny. I bought a crepe myrtle today as well. I like the way you describe it as the "collect the whole set phase". I will tell myself I am done and to focus on what I have and then I run across something new and I get the moth-to-a-flame look. "just one more,..it's fine,..you are not an addict,..."
 

erb.75

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ya...there's no denying it anymore for me...although i've gotten a little bit better, only getting different varieties of chinese elm
 

ColinFraser

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i've thought about crepe myrtles for years...do you have others? how do they do for you or is this your first one?
This is my first. I've often admired the way that the smooth bark looks like a watercolor painting, with blotches of subtly different colors running together.
 

sorce

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Nice start.!

Choppin, loppin, and a gihad!

Sorce
 

Anthony

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One was purchased in Florence, Italy back in 83. However in our climate, it seldom holds the leaves year round, nor does it totally defoliate. They have been grown down here for years, since the Indians, came over from India.
We also have really big versions of the shrubs, used for Bonsai, exceptionally beautiful trees, especially during the leafless stage in dry season.

Stick with them, in the Northern climate, they are incredible!!! as Bonsai.
Good Day
Anthony
 

jk_lewis

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We've posted a good number of pictures of crape (preferred spelling, I believe -- crepe is a fabric and what they decorate funeral homes with, it also is a confectio that is great with strawberry syrup) myrtle here over the years. Search here on the site and you should find some good info.
 

ColinFraser

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We've posted a good number of pictures of crape (preferred spelling, I believe -- crepe is a fabric and what they decorate funeral homes with, it also is a confectio that is great with strawberry syrup) myrtle here over the years. Search here on the site and you should find some good info.
Cool. I love crepes and am under the impression that they are so named because the flowers are crepe-like. If that isn't the case, what the heck is a "crape" and why is it named that?
The dictionary lists "crape" as simply a variant spelling of crepe, so I guess it's just an anglicization thing . . .
 

drew33998

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Nice to see bud break on yours. I think the crepe's are the last thing to leaf out down here, besides of course pecan trees(which are the first to lose and last to gain leaves here). Just now starting to see the native maples leaf out.
 

ColinFraser

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Nice to see bud break on yours. I think the crepe's are the last thing to leaf out down here, besides of course pecan trees(which are the first to lose and last to gain leaves here). Just now starting to see the native maples leaf out.
Yeah, those couple of twigs I left are really too long, but the new red leaves are so pretty I wanted to keep a couple for the moment!
 

Giga

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Looks nice! Deaf varieties are a little less hardy, just and fyi if you get a dawrf variety
 

Eric Group

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I have many CrEpe Myrtles... The spelling seems to be a regional preference.. We had a nice little discussion about it previously, and both are acceptable/"correct"...

I have 4-5 medium to larger sized ones in various degrees of training, a couple smaller ones and a few cuttings I took last year... Had two in the ground the past couple years, dug one already this Spring to start an approach graft to improve nebari...

They do take a beating, have great bark, ramification developed pretty fast, leaves reduce well... They are ver brittle and hard to bend without breaking once the wood hardens in my experience, so get your wiring done early! Also, the bark scars easy as it is very thin...

They can take a sever root prune and bounce back pretty fast!
 
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