This upcoming Friday, April 28, 2023, The City of Deltona will be giving away free Crape Myrtle trees as part of Arbor Day and as part of Tree City USA.
I have done quite a bit of research on Crape Myrtles while researching, I noticed that there is quite a bit of controversy and conflicting information out there.
On the City of Deltona’s announcement on Facebook, there were some comments about Crape Myrtles not being native and people were disappointed in the fact that Deltona would not choose a Native tree to offer as a free tree to their residents.
These critics are correct in that these trees are not native – though I believe they say non-native and dismiss this as a good cause without looking at the benefits that these Crape Myrtles can offer within our ecological system. The Crape Myrtle is actually a perfect tree to invite biological pest control insects to the gardens, and they are beautiful which fits wonderfully within the City of Deltona’s Mission to contribute to beautification of their city. It has more benefits than orange trees, which are native to Southeast China. The citrus psyllid that this tree is susceptible to has much more of a negative ecological and economical impact on Florida, yet, it remains one of Florida’s major sources of income.
Today, I want to explain why not every single plant in your yard must be native; just make sure it is not invasive or considered as a noxious weed. Some gardening enthusiasts will make it sound as if one should no longer have ornamentals in their yard as if it is a cardinal sin. While native plants, shrubs, and trees are great for a sustainable garden, it does not mean that your yard will not enjoy benefits from non-native plant species. There are plenty of non-native plants and trees that do not form a threat nor do they all have excessive watering needs.
Fact is, that if you want a pretty flowering ornamental tree, then a crape myrtle is a nice option. Many Florida native trees just are not as colorful and their bloom time is much shorter than the non native Crape Myrtle.
If you are interested in adding some native trees to your yard in addition to a Crape Myrtle, check out the link below to gain some insight on suggestions by IFAS as they will provide you with some options there. Be mindful that just because a tree or plant is native to Florida, it does not mean it will grow in your yard. Florida has such a huge variation in climates spanning over multiple growing zones, with salty air and sand at the beach communities to more Myakka and sea climate but less salty more inland. Beach communities know that their vegetation must be salt tolerant, and these plants that need salt do not necessarily do well more inland. The reverse is true as well.
Now let’s look at Crape Myrtles again.
Did you know that Crape Myrtles attract a specific Crape Myrtle Aphid which is food for an extensive population of beneficial insects? University of Florida is experimenting with Crape Myrtles as a form of biological pest control to attract beneficial predator bugs to Pecan orchards.
With all the above, as we all know we have been experiencing a pretty severe drought. It does not rain enough which reduces your beneficial insects and pollinators, so these aphids are one of the few reliable food sources for our beneficial insects to keep pests at bay.
Read more about Crape Myrtles as biological pest control here on the IFAS website.
As a final word, I want to mention, that no one should judge you for growing things you find beautiful in your garden, and as long as the plants that you choose do not post a direct environmental or health hazard, then by all means, go ahead and you your favorite plant or tree. I do want to suggest to you to do your homework before you purchase a tree or a plant and figure out if it is an invasive, if it will grow in your planting zone, if it has an invasive root system, if it invites any invasive pests or diseases into your yard, and how much maintenance it requires.
Personally, I am fine with crape myrtles and I would have ten of these in my yard over having St Augustine grass that invades our flowerbeds every time the sprinklers come on, or even worse, a yard with sand only because it was cleared by some ignorant developer. In addition, I feel more frustrated by clear cutting and deforestation by developers without any regard for our native wildlife and protected vegetation, so when you take that into consideration I believe the latter will be way more harmful to our ecology than you planting a crape myrtle or other tree to beautify your garden.
Inga’s Creations 