Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Friday - July 17, 2009
From: Henderson, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Return to original color of non-native crape myrtles in Henderson, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Mr. Smarty Plants, I bought 3 Dynamite Crape Myrtles that were about 3 -4 feet tall (at Lowe's). In the late Spring, I planted 2 of them about 100 feet apart, in full sun, and left the other one in a pot. They all bloomed out the pretty red that they are supposed to, then the 102 + degree weather hit and I guess I let the two planted ones get a little dry. They are in full sun and no clouds have been in sight. Immediately after watering the two planted, dry crapes, they began blooming - but this time they bloomed a medium pink!! They are the same plants that had bloomed red. The one in the pot is still blooming red. Do you have any idea what happened, and if they will revert back to the red that they first bloomed?ANSWER:
Lagerstroemia indica (crapemyrtle) is native to Asia and therefore out of our range of expertise. At the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center we are committed to the care and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are being grown. The non-native crapemyrtle has been so extensively hybridized to get different colors and bloom times that there is no telling what feature in your plant's ancestry caused it to change color. We have heard of crape myrtles changing color before, but we have no idea if they will change back.
Here is a website from Floridata on Lagerstroemia indica that will give you some more information.
More Non-Natives Questions
Reference for native critical populations from York, PA
May 25, 2010 - I have recently read a naysayer of native gardening. He states that native garden plants usually do not have the critical population size to be self-perpetuating. He says that one could better help t...
view the full question and answer
Failure to thrive of potted blue-green cypress
July 26, 2008 - I received a small 14" potted blue-green cypress for Christmas 2007. Kept it in a bright window, not direct sun. It was doing great until two weeks ago when it started turning brown from the center. ...
view the full question and answer
Non-native bougainvillea from Austin
June 25, 2012 - Bougainvillea isn't a native, but since they are so prevalent here, I hope you can help. I have three, one established in-the-ground, which is pruned almost to the ground every winter; two new this y...
view the full question and answer
Problem with non-native Chocolate Silk Tree, Albizia julibrissin
June 09, 2009 - How do we get our Chocolate Silk Tree that once had redish brown leaves from now green to the original color?
Thank You.
view the full question and answer
Problems with non-native citrus trees from Mesa AZ
January 13, 2014 - We have one valencia orange tree and one naval orange tree in our Mesa, AZ yard. Just noticed some oranges on both trees have a 1/4 inch diameter hole through the skin and the orange fruit and skin a...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |