If you have a spot for a specimen shrub or tree, consider planting a crape myrtle. They are cold hardy, produce attractive flowers, have smooth, peeling bark, and a multi-branched, open growth habit, ...

This fast-growing (up to 5 feet per year) woody plant flowers all summer long, making crape myrtle a popular garden favorite. “Specimen trees can be great for shade in the summer,” says Tracy Harrison ...

Natchez, Muskogee, Basham’s Party Pink, Sioux and Tonto crape myrtles aren’t as susceptible to cercospora leaf spot as older varieties. The fungal disease appears in late May to early June and ...

Crape myrtles are hardy, low-maintenance plants that come in a variety of sizes and colors. To encourage summer blooms, prune crape myrtles in late winter or early spring before new growth starts.