Is My Crape Myrtle Dead?

Question

Plant was planted by previous home owner one year ago. It now does not have any leaves and it did no-show blooms. Is it deciduous? What should I do to preserve the plant? I live in zone 10b, Florida and it is in full sun. Thank you for your help.

Answer 1

Yes, crapemyrtles are deciduous. If you're saying it did not bloom last summer I would be concerned. They should leaf out in spring and bloom all summer and fall. Even a very young tree will bloom. You can tell if it is alive by scraping off some bark on a branch and looking for green. You can also break off an inch or two at the end of a branch. If it snaps off and no sign of green the branch is dead.

In colder climates, sometimes crapemyrtles will die above ground but the roots survive and it grows back from the roots. I doubt it gets that cold in zone 9 though. If it doesn't leaf out this spring or send up new growth from the ground, I would say it needs to be replaced.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/crepe-myrtle/crepe-myrtle-care.htm