Crepe Myrtle Trees Not Showing Signs of budding

Question

Crepe myrtle trees are a year old right now but they are not showing any signs of budding yet. We planted young trees last year. I pruned very little and we watered plenty during the drought. We did have a couple of freezes. The trees are void of any leaves yet but are sprouting from the roots, so I don’t think they are dead. Shouldn’t they be putting on new leaves already instead of just sprouting from the ground?

Answer 1

It is possible that the upper part of the tree did not survive. The shoots from the ground are suckers and it is an attempt by the still living roots to save itself. The suckers will grow into crepe myrtles, but likely will never look like a tree, but rather like a shrub. This article will help you determine if the upper half of the tree is dead: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/how-to-tell-if-a-plant-is-dead-and-how-to-recover-an-almost-dead-plant.htm