My favorite is a glossy red new growth compact variety named Summerlasting Strawberry.” For tree-form crape myrtles, choose medium or large varieties like Dynamite, Muskogee, or Natchez.

Q: Why are the trunks of my crape myrtles turning black? They look rather unsightly. Mine aren't the only ones doing this -- many in our neighborhood look the same. Janet B. Carson, a freelance ...