Dear Neil: Why do named varieties of crape myrtles seem to disappear from nurseries? Two popular names from the past, Watermelon Red and Glendora ... lighting is far too dark to meet those needs.

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 ...

Honeydew, a sugary excrement, can be seen on bark and leaves Sooty mold can follow honeydew and turn bark and leaves black and gray (Figure 2). It is not a pathogen but will discolor plants Crape ...