Tree Crepemyrtles in Ohio.?

Question

my crepe myrtles die back to the ground every winter, but do come back to make a shrub in the summer. I have seen some tree form crepe myrtles in this area (southern Ohio) Any ideas how to get mine to be a tree?

Answer 1

site it so the freezing wind doesn't kill it back. I am in SE IN and have the sam problem . also with mimosa, i guess they are zone 6 and we are in zone 5. Global warming may fix that.

Answer 2

indeed, you must have a 'tree type' for it to ever get that big.... but, in Ohio, the main thing is to get a hardy one, and then to protect it very well thru it's first two or three winters.... once it gets some size on it and some deep roots down, it can live on it's own with just a good blanket of mulch around the base, out as far as the crown is wide.... the little younger ones, however, cannot survive your winters... protection isn't pretty in the yard, but it's a necessity if your 'tree' is to be a big guy one day.....

protection is much like that for hydrangeas.... mulch deeply... surround with chickenwire cage, that's pegged to the ground.... fill the cage with leaves... surround the cage with bubble wrap and then burlap.... cover the top with several layers of burlap, too.... then use straw bales as further insulation and protection from the winds.... see, it's not pretty in the front yard..... but you can come up with some better idea with the same purpose, perhaps....  

Answer 3

There are multiple types of crape myrtles. Some are shrubs, and some are trees. Apparently, you have the former type, which do not have trunks like trees, but can still get rather large. It won't ever become a tree, but it's probably still really beautiful, right?