Guys, I don't care about the email, chat away! I love it! Emails can be deleted, I have a delete button & it works just fine. Anyone who fusses about having to delete an email, my goodness. I'm loving all this chat! Do not worry your pretty heads ever about me getting upset about getting an email. Fire away! No telling what we might learn! You just never know.

Thanks Donna!

I'm sort of still on the fence about the black leaved Crepes. I'm not sure I will like them. And more to the point..... the dh..... he's sort of odd. Doesn't take to change too well. He'll probably complain that they look like they're dying. So, I'm still mulling it over. He loves the regular crepes but he really likes RED, RED, RED! So I have to get the deepest, darkest red I can find.

Oh....looks like I might have found something for my yard!!! I crepe myrtles but was afraid they wouldn't survive here... but this might be the one!! I have a small "city" yard and my game plan is to make a certified wildlife habitat out of it so I've been looking for small trees that give a "bang" for my buck/small yard.

Guide says 6a...I'm 6b....so there is even a bit of a cush!!

Definite possibility!!

Hey Kim,

Crape myrtles come in 5 size ranges. From weeping dwarf (2 to 3 ft) to Large trees (20ft +) this link gives a few examples of each

http://plant-shed.com/summer-c...

TY Jean.... that is good info. Might look at the semi dwarf or small tree plants.... too many choices!! LOL

Most welcome Kim. I didn't want to overwhelm you with the full list.

Ann, I almost bought the Crepe Myrtle 'Red Rocket' http://www.plantmegreen.com/co... but it doesn't have the dark leaves. There is only one photo of Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica Red Rocket®) in the ATP database but the bloom color doesn't look real deep red so I changed my mind on that one. Another beauty with really red blooms but no dark leaves is Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica Dynamite®). I might just have to get one of those next year because I really like it a lot! Both Red Rocket and Dynamite grow to 15 to 20 feet whereas the Ebony Flame that I ordered stays smaller.

Jean, thank you for that link ... I never knew there was such a thing as a weeping crepe myrtle; I think I need one!

Thanks Lin! We have these:

& that is really close but dh would still love a deep, deep red. I have to make sure they are mildew resistant whatever variety we get. That Dynamite does look pretty deep in coloration.

Oooh, Tuscarora is a pretty one too!

Most welcome Lin. I have a couple of the Dynamite cultivar.They started out very small but the color is a clear dark red. Red Rocket is 'brighter' but seems to have a touch more rose to it. Same for the smaller Little Chief Red.... So many of the "red" CMs are actually a rosy color.

http://www.tree-land.com/trees...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rocket...

http://www.gardenerhelp.org/in...

Thanks guys for all the chatter about the Crepes! It's so interesting. I wish to add that both the reds in the Black Diamond Series are brilliant blood red, not pale at all, not pinkish reds, but blood red. I bought both reds and now that they have bloomed, honestly, I cannot tell any difference in the two, to me they look pretty much the same. I even picked flowers from each & put them beside each other, I thought they looked the same.

Good to know Donna. Thanks! Blood red is what we want. Sometimes (most times) it's so very hard to tell in online photos. Lighting conditions & all that plus a lot of vendors enhance the photos just as they do for daylilys & you don't really know who is doing it so it can be a real crap shoot. Selections at local places can be lacking so oft times we resort to online.

YW. Red is my favorite color, mine & my precious little hummers, they love it too. And these black leaved Crepes have a beautiful blood red color. It just pops against those stark black leaves. I laughed. & told Joe these were my "sexy" plants, red & black, lol

flaflwrgrl said:Here is an online retailer if you can't find any locally:
http://www.plantmegreen.com/se...

This retailer is in our Green Pages.

Thanks, Ann.

Tee.

Ann??? I've been here for quite awhile.

I think she means "You're welcome," Tee.

That's correct like woofie said. I meant you're welcome Tee.

Snicker, snicker, you thought I was ready for the nut house didn't you?

Had me confused for a minute, too!