Crape myrtles are well adapted long lived summer blooming woody ornamentals that come in a variety of sizes and bloom colors and can be maintained in a single stem tree form or multi-stem shrub form. As most other plants, they aren’t totally pest or problem free.

Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale

The most serious pest of crape myrtles is probably the crape myrtle bark scale (CMBS). CMBS are white colored scale insects that attach to the bark on trunks and branches and literally suck the life from the plant as they feed. These scale insects secrete a sticky waste product called honeydew that falls on foliage and stems alike. Honeydew provides a good environment for sooty mold to grow in and crape myrtles with CMBS will often have black leaves and bark as a result. Anyone with crape myrtles in their landscape should be on the lookout for CMBS and be prepared to treat with an insecticide if they’re present.

Keep in mind that it is always a good idea to plant a diversity of material so that a new insect or disease arriving on the scene will not decimate your landscape!!

Instead of planting a plant that is commonly riddled with insect pest and diseases, find one from our list of suggested substitutes from UT Extension Specialists, found here.