Crepe myrtles are well known in the south for being easy to care for and abundance. While crepe myrtles are beautiful, more homeowners are substituting other trees for them due to Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale that coats the tree in sticky honeydew and sooty mold. Some alternatives to the Crepe Myrtle are flowering dogwoods and Kousa dogwoods. These can be used if the flowers of a crepe myrtle are what you would like to imitate. Another alternative is sweet tea olive tree or a Chinese parasol tree whose bark peels similarly to that of the Crepe Myrtle.Finally the Chaste tree can also be substituted as it has similar large blooms.
Key Takeaways:
- While Crepe Myrtle looks beautiful, it is annoying to take care of
- to find a good alternative, you first have to find what part you like most about the crepe myrtle
- for example, if you like the crepe myrtle’s flowers, dogwood is a good substitute
“This mainstay tree of the mid-South offers generous blossoms in multiple shades, including red, pink, white and purple.”
Read more: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/crepe-myrtle/crepe-myrtle-alternatives.htm