Are hummers in North America attracted to the Crape myrtle plant? If so, which color do they prefer?
Thanks!

I know several wildlife gardeners who hate the plant because it is so widely planted and seems to do no good for anything or anyone. They are entirely lovely though - love that bark. Maybe bees use them, I hope something does.

Ward, although I had heard of this plant I had never seen it before until I saw it in a garden in town in the colors of, pink, purple and white. It is beautiful!
If I can't find any plants here, I will try for seeds.

Patricia, landscape purists rail against Crepe Myrtles because they are so overused in public plantings, etc. At one time, I got the idea that we should have only native trees. However, I have come to my senses and find great value in these colorful exotics. As far as I can tell, the flowers have no nectar and hummers don't search for that kind of refreshment in the papery blossoms, but the trees do harbor lots of white flies and the twigs are perfect for perching.

One in front of Casa Colibrí is probably 50-60 years old. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, it was huge, but the winds took about 3/4 of it. Then workers from the electric company butchered it more. Last spring, I had it trimmed. Bare as it is now, the tree looks terrible, but once the leaves and flowers come, it will be an asset to the garden.

The winter birds don't use it much because it is bare and because it is exposed to the full brunt of north winds. However, every morning in late summer and early fall, I have my coffee on the front porch and watch the birds sallying forth to catch invisible bugs. Additionally, the seeds are favorite foods of the similarly maligned Monk Parakeets that have become a common sight in New Orleans.

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Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
USDA Zone 9

Nancy, thanks for the info. I had no idea some birds would eat the crape seeds. That does bump it up a little in garden usefulness. It really is a lovely tree, but so overplanted I haven't put one in yet. Every time I get tempted, I think of the many native underplanted choices--so many!--and decide against it.

One other thing that always comes to mind with crapes is how much I despise seeing them in parking lots in the late winter...butchered by idiots. Then how much I love them in the summer, beautiful in bloom and graceful in habit. It's a truly fickle admiration!

Matt,

I know precisely what you mean - the colloquial term for it here is "Crape murder". I have two of these in the front yard and three in the back, in beds which have lots of hummer-useful small shrubs in them.

Several years ago, my landlord decided they were growing up in to the electrical service wires and decided that, instead of trimming them around the wires, he'd just cut them down during the winter to a height of about four feet (from a peak of about 15 or so!). It has taken years for the trees to recover even part of their natural shape, and in the interim we suffered through several years where they looked like tootsie pops. I was so livid, he agreed to let me take over all the landscaping for the place (which at the time amounted to almost nothing). He's been thrilled ever since, especially when he found out that I was planting for hummingbirds, since he had no idea that putting in specific plants would help bring them in.

In addition to the hummingbirds, they make great perching trees for finches, cardinals, orioles, warblers, etc. I have some of my feeders (seed, suet, nectar, etc.) hanging from their branches and it allows birds to flee the feeders immediately into the trees for cover. It's especially nice having them in winter because birds are easy to spot among the bare branches.

There are definitely better trees for food, etc. but there is a place for them in the bird garden, for sure.

Kevin Morgan
Baton Rouge, LA

Kevin, just yesterday, I saw a whole row of recently pollarded [the technical term for mutilating a tree] Crepe Myrtles somewhere in the neighborhood. Anger just welled up in me. How can 'they' commit such atrocities against defenseless trees! I shouldn't let myself get carried away like that. There are better causes. Like when oaks and pines and cypresses [all natives] are planted beneath utility wires and then they are topped because they get too tall. I think one reason why Crepe Myrtles are so popular is that they take the abuse and can still be attractive. Crepe Myrtles don't get too large and they withstand city life very well.

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Nancy L Newfield
Casa Colibrí
Metairie, Louisiana USA
USDA Zone 9

I have old fashion lagerstroemia or Crepe Myrtles on two sided of my lawn. They are not real tall and their blooms are not those big ones of the new CM. The hummingbirds love them. Not to nectar at but to play hide and seek in. I wonder if I looked real close I might find a nest in one of them?

Nancy I hate to see them mutilated too along with any tree and plant. I have been hearing and reading lately that people are being told cutting back the CM is one of the worst things that can be done to it. Maybe someday maybe the butchering will stop. It usre doesn't make them prettier to me.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

It's true that Crape Myrtles don't seem to have any nectar for hummingbirds but they are still beautiful and also seem to be about the right height for hummingbird nests and lookout perches. Plus, I wonder if the red ones bring hummers into your garden?



I have 4 of these bright red "Dynamite" crape myrtles. How could a hummer see these and fly by my garden??























I also have this dwarf variety called "Victor":





and this purple variety called "Catawba":





Crape Myrtles come in all sizes so pick a variety that grows to the size you want, rather than trying to trim a large variety. Here's a good web page that shows how big the various varieties get:



http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/trees/hgic1023.html



Current thinking is that crapes look best and are hardiest, when left to their own natural shape with minimal pruning. In fact, severe pruning of crapes is considered "Crape Murder"!



http://www.plantdelights.com/Tony/crape.html

http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/publications/stopthecrape.html

http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/lawn_and_garden/crape_murder.html

Beautiful pictures Ron. Your yards are so pretty.

Dianne
Southeast Alabama
Heat Zone 8
Sunset Zone 31

I love crape myrtles. Few shrubs are as showy and have such a long bloom time. I have seen swallowtails going to mine occasionally and have seen hummingbirds checking it out but it's unusual to see either.
It seems likely that some crape myrtles would have more nectar than others though. You could try contacting these places where trials are being done to see if they have any data on hummingbirds, nectar or at least butterflies. Otherwise, I would plant a bright red one to at least get the hummingbirds attention. Here's an article on new true red varieties and I'll put the list of places trialing crape myrtles below it:

http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/hot_topics/lawn_and_garden/new_red_crape_myrtles.html


II. Sites where crape myrtle cultivar trials are being conducted


http://fineartforum.org/dept/crec/ornres2.html

Mississippi State University, Coastal Research and Extension Center, MS




http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/scripts/htmlgen.exe?DOCUMENT_MG266

University of Florida, Research and Extension Center in Monticello, FL.




http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/rc_hefw/CRAPEMER.HTM

Kansas State University, Research and Extension Center in Haysville, KS




http://www.ag.auburn.edu/outlying/gcs/index.html

Auburn University, Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center in Fairhope, AL




http://www.agctr.lsu.edu/news/newsarchive/1nws0520.htm

Louisiana State University, LSU Ag Center, Baton Rouge, LA





Christie
Missouri
zone 6

Ron, does your 'Red Dynamite' produce seeds?

They sure are beautiful. There was only purple, pink and white in the garden that I saw the plants.

Beautiful, Ron!! I was tempted to push the Zone & try one. I've been looking at 'Dynamite' for a couple of years now. You've tempted me to put in a protected sight, heavily mulched & try. ????

Joni
Elwood, IL
Zone 5

I only WISH my three CMs looked that good. They've been growing in my yard...ohhhh...20 years? All three are about 12' tall and super spindly and rarely bloom. (Red, lavender, and a pink) I can't blame it on the red clay either because CMs grow wild all over these woods and flourish. Go figure?

Maryjane
W Ga
Zone 8a