this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. Take a look at the crepe myrtle bloom above. A: Burned edges of leaves can be caused by several things including too much fertilizer, lack of water, root diseases or too much water. In most instances, infected leaves develop a yellowish to orangey red coloration then fall … And so two fairly recent introductions, 'Dynamite' and 'Red Rocket', have exploded in popularity (pun intended). For instance: This phlox in my garden bloomed deep pink during the heat. 1 Comment It is the middle of the summer and your crepe myrtles leaves are starting to discolor. In 1997 the Crepe Myrtle was named “The State Shrub Of Texas”. And think about it. They are developing brown spots and the leaves change from their natural green to yellow, orange and red. There is no reversing it, not even by spraying your trees. provide head-turning allure to gardens in United States Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 through 9. Many plant disorders cause leaves to change color, but few cause them to turn black. So learn to love it. When a small amount of this herbicide from careless spraying or drift gets on a plant like crape myrtle it … Crepe Myrtle Leaves Are Turning Orange-Red. I went out and checked the tree to see where the flare was. Nope. I planted two Crape Myrtle's this past fall. Our two Natchez white crepe myrtles planted two years ago are blooming. Red is the rarest naturally occurring color among crepe myrtles. These trees bloom on new wood, which means that this season's growth makes the … Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. In fact, if a Crepe Myrtle tree owner truly wanted to control Cercospora, he or she would need to spray the tree every 7 to 10 days with a fungicide, from early summer into the fall. Crepe Myrtles are among the most popular trees decorating homes, commercial, municipal and educational landscapes in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and throughout the southeastern United States. Also, a late frost or cool weather could cause the leaves to start changing to what is typically their fall color: rich bronze-red to orange. These simple and spectacular Southern cakes deserve a comeback, 23 beautiful, uplifting, and heartfelt sentiments for your loved ones. If your crape myrtle's dark green leaves have turned white, your tree might be infected with mildew. You may live with a healthy crepe myrtle in the garden … New Orleans, LA 70121 I love Crape Myrtles! Initially displaying dark spots, these leaves eventually turn yellow, orange or red and fall off your trees, well before the … If you’re noticing black spots on the leaves of your Crepe Myrtles, your trees are experiencing a disease called Cercospora. | Local Marketing by High Level Thinkers, New Orleans Ginkgo Biloba Trees Latest Victims of Rampant Disease, Why You Need Your Louisiana Live Oaks Pruned by an ISA-Certified Arborist This Winter, Buck Moth Caterpillar Spraying Pre-Registration Form. Southern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. It seems to me to be too early for it to be getting fall colors since it's still close to 90 degrees here! Sometimes, certain aphid species cause galls (swelling of plant tissues) on crepe myrtle that is round or spindle-shaped. Leaves, Bark and Branches Most crape myrtles have dark green leaves, some tinged with red upon opening. There's a teeny chance it's supposed to look like that (for example, one called 'Prairie Lace' has deep pink blossoms edged in white). The dark-green leaves turn reddish-orange in the fall. What causes our Crepe Myrtle tree leaves to turn red? The leaves turned a deep russet, then burgandy in the fall. One of the most common trees that we get questions about this time of year are actually Crepe Myrtles! That’s simply too much tree maintenance for most Crepe Myrtle owners, especially considering how many of these beauties can be found across our local landscape. This tree that can grow up to 24-inches in a year reaches about 20 feet at maturity. Second, even though Cercospora may cause some unsightly discoloration of your Crepe Myrtle tree leaves, it is not a life-threatening disease. My natchez crape myrtles are 2 months old and began growing leaves fantastic, yet at 2 months all of the leaves are turning orange/red and I'm sure they will soon fall off. These are aphids, which suck sap from leaves and stems of … Red Crape Myrtle Varieties Introduction. There is an Australian native crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia archeriana), which grows to … These galls are full of aphids in different stages of their life. And we all know just how much rain we get in the summer in Louisiana! If you’re noticing black spots on the leaves of your Crepe Myrtles, your trees are experiencing a disease called Cercospora. When the crepe myrtle tree has a heavy infestation of aphids, it causes a lot honeydew to accumulate on the tree. genus is a truly spectacular member of the loosestrife family, boasting a flowering season that may last up to 120 days. Why is the bark is falling off my crepe myrtle? The disease is most serious in shady, damp locations, especially where plants … It appears to be properly planted. Baton Rouge, LA 70807 (504) 837-8733, 2982 Varsity St. Then in the fall the leaves turn unique shades of purple and red. The simple fact is, there’s really nothing feasible or worthwhile that you can do to prevent Cercospora from infecting your tree, but since it isn’t life threatening, it truly isn’t something to worry about. The curling leaves are probably caused by lawn chemicals, probably a phenoxy herbicide. Sioux Crape Myrtles have very dark green leaves that create a radiant show of contrasting colors. The tree is about 15 - 20 years old and roughly 20' tall. Crepe Myrtle Leaves Turning Brown in Summer . Q: Nancy, thank you so much. ANSWER: This is Cercospora leaf spot due to all the rain. Southern Living is a registered trademark of, These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021, 7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020, 50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime. Red foliage enhances desirability in some ornamental plants, but when green summer leaves turn red unexpectedly, color can be cause for concern. Foliage Curls, Turns Yellow shows Aphids Check crape myrtle stems and leaves for bunches of soft-bodied, pear-shaped, insects a little bigger than the head of a pin. Photo 1262 is the west side of the tree. The older and younger barks intertwine on the trunk together to create a marbled look. And that's when people freak out and invest all their life savings in bomb shelter carpeting. The trendy haircuts you’ll be seeing everywhere next year. Along with their bright colorful bloom display during the summer months the leaves of the Crepe Myrtle also turn orange, red and yellow in the fall. Our Natchez Crape Myrtle Leaves are turning red-orange as they do in autumn each year, and they are beginning to drop off. Third, heavy summer rain showers are known to cause more and more cases of Cercospora in Crepe Myrtle trees. We live in Austin, Texas and all of our neighbors' established trees do not have this problem. Anybody want to buy 5,000 yards of storm shelter carpeting? First, if you’ve noticed these telltale signs of Cercospora, the disease has already taken ahold of your tree. Many leaves fall during the summer, although some are the normal green. Thank you for the information. It's losing more leaves in the inner branches, near the trunk. When the next flush of flowers opened, a white spot adorned nearly every petal. So if you suddenly spot leaves on crepe myrtle turning yellow, you’ll want to figure out quickly what is going on with this versatile plant. Infected parts of the plant are usually distorted and stunted. If you have a Crepe Myrtle that is displaying another issue, or other types of trees that you think may be diseased, we are happy to inspect them. Call Bayou Tree Service today at (504) 608-0712 in New Orleans, or in Baton Rouge (225) 414-4076. Unfortunately, some crape myrtle cultivars are susceptible to powdery mildew. Answer: This is a fungal disease called Cercospora leaf spot. But they share one weird idiosyncrasy. Crepe myrtle leaves will start to fall and your tree will start to look pretty shabby. There is nothing you can do, including fertilizing with uranium or sunbathing nude on Mercury, to change this. Crepe Myrtles are among the toughest, most adaptable, and showiest plants that can be grown in the Texas landscape. Don't you just love the way that "pink" daffodils and "yellow" magnolias never turn that color for you because the spring is too hot? Pick one up and you'll notice it's covered with dark brown and blackish spots. But there is one mystery plaguing a lot of gardeners right now upon which Grumpy will shine the light of knowledge and understanding -- why crepe myrtles sometimes change color. (225) 372-8585, © 2018-document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) Bayou Tree Service Inc. All rights reserved. We have a 30 foot crape myrtle in our Austin backyard (see photo) In the last three years, the leaves have become redder and the tree weeps. Shortly thereafter, I began noticing red crepe myrtles with white flowers. Photo 1263 a closer look of the west side of the tree. | Web Design by ComSolutions. As for your poor crepe myrtle, it suffers from an affliction I've written about before called Cercospora leaf spot. That’s where regular tree maintenance comes in! That's they way these new crepe myrtles are. A lot of them are turning red. Photo 1264 is the east side of the tree, it’s in a little better shape. Normal. If you are seeing brown leaves (or even partially brown leaves) on a crepe myrtle shrub, such as a Natchez crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia x Natchez), at the end of a dry summer, the problem could be due to drought. Weather affects the colors of many flowers, not just those of crepe myrtles. Crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia indica) are small trees with abundant, showy blossoms.But the lush green leaves help make this a favorite in gardens and landscapes in the southern United States. Festooned in white, pink, orange, red or purple blooms in summer and brilliant leaves in fall, different varieties of crepe myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) However, the leaves are turning yellow to red and then dropping off. Photo 1261 is the base of the tree. Powdery Mildew: Powdery mildew is one of the most common problems of crape myrtle, and it is caused by the fungus Erysiphe lagerstroemia. Consulting, pruning and fertilization on numerous historic Live Oaks Historic tree transplant, Consulting, pruning and fertilization on numerous historic Live Oaks as well as hundreds of younger trees, 264 Industrial Avenue These bushes flourish in the southeastern United States, where they are very popular due to their ability to withstand the summer heat. The crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.) Patches of white to grayish powdery growth occur on the surfaces of leaves, flowers and new shoots. It shows itself in late summer. I'll give you a deal. But, have you ever noticed that your Crepe Myrtles’ leaves have black spots, or are changing colors or shedding before the autumn hits? Then we had that rainy weekend. Heavily infected flowers may fail to open. We are in the 94517 zip code. It was very pretty. When the entire plant turns black and appears to be dirty, suspect a pest infestation. If the leaves still retain some green coloring and the black portions are mainly along the edges, the crepe myrtle may be suffering from leaf scorch which is not a true disease but is caused by improper watering. The flowers appear in clusters that can be up to 14-inches long. The leaves on a few varieties turn dark red, yellow or orange-red in the fall. Selections of crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.) . Photo 1265 is the west side and you can see more red leaves. Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) requires full sun, well-drained soils and it is drought tolerant. After a month-and-a-half of brutally hot temps in the high-90's, we had a rainy, cloudy Saturday. with true red flowers are now widely available, thanks to new and dramatic improvements in crape myrtle flower color.As with other colors of crape myrtle, red crape myrtle varieties are free-flowering and will continue to produce flowers throughout summer and on into autumn. Please see the 5 photos attached. Initially displaying dark spots, these leaves eventually turn yellow, orange or red and fall off your trees, well before the hot Louisiana temperatures have dropped and fall has begun. Dynamite Crape Myrtle. The older brown bark peels away to reveal bright beige bark underneath. Crape myrtles are prized where they can be grown for their beautiful flowers, long blooming season, and attractive, interesting bark. I suspect the problem is directly related to the amount of water your crape myrtle is receiving. Red is the rarest naturally occurring color among crepe myrtles. https://www.wilsonbrosgardens.com/crape-myrtle-leaf-spot.html nor do our other crepe myrtle trees with pink blooms. Weird? At Bayou Tree Service, we are often contacted by concerned tree owners when they notice something different or “off” about their trees. That more than likely is not the problem. In autumn the mid-green leaves turn yellow, orange or red (depending on the variety) before falling. When flowers open during cool, cloudy weather, instead of opening red, they open white. There are a few Crapemyrtle cultivars with red leaves. Hi Josephine - This is the first I've heard of this problem on the Red Rocket Crape Myrtle. I watched the color change in my neighborhood about a week ago. These leaves tend to dry out and wilt. The same red and purple pigments behind similar colors in flowers, fruits and fall foliage show up in plants under stress. At first, we thought that this was a reaction to the drought. Some of the world's great mysteries may never be solved -- like how did the hosts of "Fox & Friends" ever graduate from high school? Trees that are affected with Cercospora can be expected to reach their normal lifespan of more than 50 years! © Copyright 2020 Meredith Corporation. They may be white, yellow, red or brown. ‘Tis the season to ditch your all-white palette in favor of something a little bolder and brighter. I do know that the leaves of this variety emerge red in the spring and then quickly turn to deep green. One is a Lagerstroemia x fauriei 'Arapaho' - red flowers and dark leaves. They also flaunt vivid red flowers. Question From: m. sims - Tifton, Georgia, United States . Growing in zones 6 to 9, the dynamite crape myrtle puts on fiery red flowers. The nursery tag says it should get up to 20'. While Cercospora is a known disease of Crepe Myrtle trees, you need not worry. Q. Crepe Myrtle Leaves Turning Yellow to Red. Leaves prematurely turn bright orange and red and then drop. With so many Crepe Myrtles planted across the southeastern United States, they are a reliable, long-living tree, despite their tendency to become infected with Cercospora. . Phenoxy herbicides are frequently sprayed on lawns to control broadleaf weeds. Other flowers that you wouldn't normally think of change color too. If this is happening to your crepe myrtle trees, are they still healthy? With their signature flowers that bloom in whites, pinks and reds, they are a beautiful sight to behold in southern Louisiana’s hot summer months. However, the much more likely culprit is the weather. It will bloom for about 70 days. Unpruned crepe myrtles develop beautifully coloured, smooth, mottled trunks. People love red. It's late August, and none of the other Crape Myrtles in the neighborhood seem to be turning yet. 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