They might look threatening but the insects herding on the trunks of your crape myrtles are psocids, also known as tree cattle and bark lice, that cause no harm. (Courtesy of Tom MacCubbin) A.

It's not too late to add a new tree to your yard, even if summer is fast approaching. Choose a fast-growing tree that will be ...

Tips Crape myrtles don't need to be pruned every year. Trim off suckers and dead branches when you see them, but otherwise limit pruning to an as-needed basis. 2. Don't prune in the spring.

The single-trunk crape myrtle is a popular street tree that grows 15 to 25 feet tall and usually does not interfere with power lines. If you have limited space, consider a semi-dwarf variety that ...

The myrtle is quite clearly a tree—one that grows in an inelegant tangle of oft-gnarled trunks. Pedants may argue that the crape’s hydra of stems technically qualify it as a shrub.

In addition to their summer show, the foliage on crepe myrtles turns an ombre of yellow, orange, and fiery red in fall. As one of the fastest-growing crepe myrtle trees, the Red Rocket can grow up to ...

There are crape myrtle cultivars that grow only 2 to 3 feet in height, such as Pocomoke. There are semi-dwarf cultivars that grow to about 12 feet or less in height, such as Acoma, and ...

Wander almost anywhere in our area right now and you’re likely to see crepe myrtles in frilly bloom, with colors ranging from red, to deep pink, pale pink, and white.

Many crape myrtle trees across the D.C. region are infested by a bug called bark scale, which leaves behind a black fungal infection. A cure is elusive.

Proper crape (or crepe) myrtle pruning How much to prune: Properly prune your crape myrtle by removing 25% of the crown, and no more than 30%, Moorman said.

Crape myrtle topping is so prolific that many homeowners do it year after year without knowing why. Removing branches promotes larger, although less numerous, blooms; it is a maintenance task ...

Blooms are but one of crape myrtle’s charms. As summer fades, the foliage turns fiery shades of seasonal colors, and mottled bark extends the show into winter.