Looking for a Crape Myrtle

Can anyone recommend a species that works well for Bonsai?

Can anyone point me to a good source for one?

Thanks all.

I got a couple of small ones from Dallas Bonsai last year and they are growing well and have some dark nice pink blooms now. However, they are a long way from being bonsai.

Your best bet always is to search local nurseries first as they will carry cultivars that will grow in your area. You live on the Pasco-Pinellas county line (Zone 9B) which is at the southern point in Crape Myrtle range, so your choices may be limited.

Generally, the miniature cultivars are better for bonsai, though if you can find one of the larger ones with leaves under and inch it will do fine.

I purchased a very nice one from Guy Guidry last year; however, it did not survive past last winter....My location is northern WV.
Tom

Hi Tom, et al...
I find that trying to acclimate material from the "deep south" to the MidAtlantic is almost futile if you plan to Winter them outdoors; they need to be protected from temps that go below the freezing mark.

Absolutely, Todd, you are right....I should have learned my lesson....tried to acclimate a nice bald cypress back in 2001....that was unsuccessful. Then lost the crepe myrtle last year....no more. I will stick to those species with which I am successful (something I should have learned many years ago :-)

Best regards,
Tom

If the species "began" in your area you will do fine. There are Bald Cypress, old ancient trees, which grow in Illinois!

True enough, Todd....but Taxodium nursery stock around here is not developed enough for my taste.

However, they usually WILL acclimatize over the course of a few years -- assuming you can get them through those years.

Crepes are pretty easy to propagate. If you have a friend or neighbor with a good mature tree, offer to prune it for them in winter/spring, in exchange for the cuttings. It's not hard to root crepe myrtle cuttings as thick as two inches and they develop fast. As long as it's not one of the larger leafed species, you should be good.

If you collect cuttings, observe the parent tree to see how long the branches are before the blooms form. Even if the flowers are gone you can still see the seed heads. Some varieties bloom pretty close to the trunk and main branches. Other varieties bloom when the branches reach 3-4 feet in length; not good bonsai candidates in this case.

I've got at least one more than I'd like to have ...but they're too big to ship.

Joe A.

The dwarfs that I see in the local nurseries are Chickasaw, Pocomoke and the Dazzle Series (something like Purple dazzle and others).

I think any of these dwarf cultivars will work. Choose one with a nice trunk and nebari. Maybe someone can chime in with specific experience on one of these cultivars.

Best,

Augustine