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rakin_gw

Natchez crape myrtles still have no leaves???

rakin
9 years ago

In the fall, we had a lot of landscaping done on our newly constructed home. Part of that included 6 crape myrtles. ( 3 tuscarora, 2 aroma, and 2 Natchez).
All were relatively large specimens. Well everything except the Natchez has leaves. Both of them look dead, except that they have green beneath the bark. They are about 13 feet high. We had a seriously cold winter for our area this year, so I don't know if that is part of the problem. I just can't figure out if they are just struggling and need some extra time, or if they are a lost cause. These particular trees are in a bed that fronts a retaining wall. But then again, so are the aromas, and they are fine. In fact everything that we put in has done well (all in the same conditions) from upright hollies, weeping hollies, savanah hollies, acoma myrtles, Japanese maple, sweet bay magnolias, and little gem magnolias. But the natchez show no sign of life. I don' t even see the beginnings of a leaf. I planted the Natchez mostly for its beautiful bark, but this is not what I had expected. ;-)

Comments (24)

  • User
    9 years ago

    rakin,
    Call the place where you bought them at.
    Tell them the tree died and you want it replaced.
    It definately should have leaves, don't let them tell you
    to see if the bark is green, tell them you want a tree with
    leaves.
    My crape myrtle has had leaves for about a month.
    It died. It happens.
    At least the rest of your landscaping looks good.
    So, all in all, that not too bad, considering the horrible winter.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    if you have a warranty ... then talk to your seller/installer ... and if you dont.. talk to them anyway ...

    13 foot transplants take incredible stresses on moving ... its not surprising ...

    stuff that size is usually field dug.. ball and burlap ... and there is no way to insure the root system wasnt totally slaughter by the digging process ... and the fact that two of the same type died.. makes me wonder .... and you never know.. until you drag it out ... and wash off the soil ... and find there were not enough roots for the huge plant ...

    and then throw winter on top or the transplant stresses only complicates it all wildly ... .. though one might suggest that if 4 made it thru of winter.. then then the loss of the other 2.. probably is not fully related to winter ...

    the single most important thing for all of them.. is PROPER watering for 2 or 3 years ... and that is not accomplished by inground sprinklers ... they need to be deeply watered thru the whole root zone planted ... and then near drying.. to insure getting re-established ... see link for the watering protocol ... and insure such yourself ... insert finger and find out ... its not a schedule thing ....

    let us know what they say ... there is a small chance.. that budding is delayed.. for whatever reason ... so do give them some more time...

    good luck

    ken

    ps: if huge potted stock.. they have different issues ... but it still weird its two of the same kind ...

    Here is a link that might be useful: link

  • Sara Malone Zone 9b
    9 years ago

    Some of my crape myrtles are just leafing out in zone 9b. They are notoriously late to leaf out, one of the negative points about them (although they beat the Vitex!) If still green underneath I wouldn't give up but those in your own zone will have better insight than I. In cold areas crape myrtles die to the ground, so inspect the root crown for signs of life as well.

    Good luck!

    Sara

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    9 years ago

    "one of the negative points about them (although they beat the Vitex!)"

    Actually some people plant certain things that leaf out late deliberately, because they can allow spring bloomers under them to either complete more growth or look more showy. An azalea that is bold and colorful in full sun like 'Stewartstonian' or 'George L Tabor' might look dull or wan in shade. White seems to work anywhere, of course.

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    9 years ago

    Well, people here know I'm not afraid to bring out my axes and grind them. I assume you are in the eastern 2/3rd of the US: this winter was the coldest in 20 or 30 years depending on how you evaluate it. Sure if you have a warranty you could force the nursery to replace your plants. Is it their fault a 7b location, where these crapes should be perfectly hard, had an exceptionally cold winter? If it was a HD or Lowes, yes, please make them replace the plants, they have more money than G-d. If it is any local nursery, they are almost certainly stuggling, and I don't feel should have to suffer for an act of G-d. If they were well grown and healthy before winter, they will almost certainly sprout from the base, and grow very quickly. If you prune them correctly, they will probably be back to vaguely what you had before in 3, 4 years tops, AND have an extra year of root establishment to boot to resist future droughts and freezes. If they don't sprout from the base, sure, maybe the nursery should replace them. Sprouting from the base btw means they technically didn't die...at least to me.

  • davidrt28 (zone 7)
    9 years ago

    However as everyone else said, they can be very, very late to leaf. Give it a bit more time. Up here in the land of chilly springs, my true-red cultivar sometimes doesn't leaf until late June! I'm pretty sure this year killed it to the ground. Most plants you can scratch and see if any green is present. However I'm sure I've done that to crapes and they look totally dead, but they still somehow leaf out.

  • subtropix
    9 years ago

    Are the locations the same with respect to sun exposure. Might be a question of differing microclimates in your yard, with the warmer areas show more life. There may be dead wood to cut out, but it may still leaf out. I think I did suffer the loss of a few more recently planted Crapes but my largest Zuni are just starting to leaf. (Crapes are notoriously late and I am coastal so winter chills linger.) Scape under the bark to check for some green. Also, they can revive themselves even if killed to the ground from underground, so be patient.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    9 years ago

    Listen to me. Natchez are among the slowest to leaf out in the spring. Do not call to replace them, do not dig them up to look at the roots, do not prune them. Yikes! Also, don't fertilize at this time.

    I don't know what your location is...that might be helpful information. I live in 7a zone and Crapes are extremely common here doing just fine through winters that routinely see temperatures in the teens and lower.

  • rakin
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    "If it was a HD or Lowes, yes, please make them replace the plants, they have more money than G-d. If it is any local nursery, they are almost certainly stuggling, and I don't feel should have to suffer for an act of G-d. "

    Yes, it was a local nursery that I have always used. I have never lost one of their plants due to anything other than my own neglect, which has not been the case here. They were on a sprinkler system.

    "Are the locations the same with respect to sun exposure"

    Yes, they all face west. The acomas receive the least amount. One Natchez gets the same, sun coming from the south, but shielded from 5 pm onward by the house. The other Natchez gets sun all day, same as the Tuscaroras. Location doesn't seem to be an issue as everything else nearby is great.

    "I don't know what your location is...that might be helpful information"

    I am in the Memphis area suburbs. Zone 7b.

    On a side note, I noticed that the tree had a lot of little buds (?) prior to the last icing event, or whatever you call those little nubs that the leaves protrude beneath. But now if I scrape away these little buds, there is no green. They just chip off like a dead piece of bark. On the other crapes, most of the nubs that haven't produced leaves yet, have a soft green beneath it. ( a new leaf that hasn't emerged?) Is it possible that the Natchez lost all of their leaf potential due to the cold? How long should I give it? A month? A year?
    I hate to loose such a large tree, but I don't want to waste time waiting for something that is not going to happen either.

  • jaceymae
    last year

    I know this is an old thread...but I have the same question here in Central Texas. My 30 year old Natchez trio, very well established have yet to leaf out. My watermellon reds and others are fully leafed. Is that the concensus then? The Natches are just slow? We are also in a freakishly dry Spring where I live...and I am putting the soakers on them for the first time in years. But don't want to waste the water if it's normal they should be this slow. They do appear green under the bark and the tips are flexible.

  • jaceymae
    last year

    Hi to Jinx...your comment came partially on my e-mail. But I don't see the full comment here. Do you know why or can you post it again? I'd love to hear what you have to say. Thanks!

  • Jilly
    last year

    Sorry about that! I was editing, and accidentally deleted it all.

    I was just saying that CMs are mavericks and follow no rules. In my experiences, the older varieties are later to leaf out than newer ones (but that’s not universal). From what you say, yours sound alive and fine, just taking their time to appear. And I do think our drought is having an effect, too.

    I hope yours will be fine, Natchez is such a classic CM. :)

  • Jilly
    last year

    They look so nice near the Live Oak! Please update, I’m rooting for them! :)

  • jaceymae
    last year

    I will!! Thank you for your kind words:)

  • cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
    last year

    No plants in my yard have caused me more stress over being the last to leaf out than my Crape Myrtles. They scare me to death every year and yet they always come through.


  • jaceymae
    last year
    last modified: last year

    LOL! Guess you need to learn to trust that better then! I never noticed the different flavors did't leaf out all at the same time before. This may be a first time, considering the crazy extremes they've had to deal with. I believe -2 was registered in 2020 for that horrific week. Yet these guys leafed out normally the next year. That' being said, I did have another tree releaf that spring and die the next year.. Pretty unnerving. Those even had moisture in the soil. So maybe the earlier cultivars of CM are hardier? I'd hate to lose the beautiful sinewy structure the mature trees have. Even if they come back from the ground, those CM's will never be as beautiful, IMO.

  • indianagardengirl
    last year

    And that great grandma live oak - wow is that magnificent! I do love the big old trees 🙂

  • Jurassic Park
    last year

    "No plants in my yard have caused me more stress over being the last to leaf out than my Crape Myrtles. They scare me to death every year and yet they always come through."


    Stress?! Gardens are supposed to lead to relaxation, not stress. Crape Myrtles are INCREDIBLY resilient in areas in which they are cold hardy. In a NORMAL year for me they are LATE, LATE, LATE. Coastal waters delay my Springs, then someone flips the switch and it's FULL SUMMER, why bother with "Spring". I will check for buds later but don't expect much, it's been an unusually cold Spring so far in much of the lower Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. At the other end of the season, mine have been in bloom into NOVEMBER! Actually, I think it's hardier to KILL them! Several years ago, we had a weird February with very warm days but also some cold nights. My favorite Crape Myrtle 'Hopi' tree developed a frost crack on the south side of the tree which eventually spit it in half. I chopped it down and replaced it with another 'Hopi'. The original "dead" one completely rejuvenated itself from the roots is was soon a TREE again! I disagree about them not being as beautiful, given pruning, patience, and time you can create the tree you envision.

  • jaceymae
    last year
    last modified: last year

    My point is freezing to the ground normally produces straighter shoots. The original trees I have look prettier than madrones, and since madrones are almost IMPOSSIBLE to grow..I am thrilled to have them. One of my watermelon CM's I sort of espelliered when young, and it is fabulous shape of curvy limbs thruout. Just a work of art.

    And I agree it's harder to kill a CM than almost anything else...but that isn't everyting. In the case of the Nachez I'd be in trouble if they died to the ground and came back. Again, IMO:)

  • Jurassic Park
    last year

    Just checked and am a bit surprised to see they are budding (surprised because it's been so freakishly cool/COLD, but avoiding frost issues).

  • jaceymae
    last year
    last modified: last year

    Happy to report my soaker hoses musta really did the trick on those CM's. This morning they are covered in 1/2 in leaves...so I'm guesssing it broke dormancey immediately. Note to self:)

  • Jilly
    last year

    Great news!

  • jaceymae
    last year

    Yes, and running soakers around our established oaks too. Send us your rain if you can! Texas lookin like it did in 2011...and that was NOT PRETTY....:(

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