Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Question about Crepe Myrtles, 2 by Weerobin

Weerobin wrote:
I agree wholeheartedly that the beautiful trunk is the best feature of CM's. My sister lives in Hampton Roads and I drool over the beautiful CM's which thrive around there. (As much as I love them, clearly overplanted.) When I first planted mine, they weren't supposed to be hardy here, so I used them as die-back shrubs. But now mine are ?15-20ft tall. I've tried to isolate a few individual trunks to show off the ornamental bark, then I remove the new suckers. Pic #1 is a cultivar specifically selected for it's ornamental bark (L. fauriei Townhouse. Unfortunately, around here, I have to protect it against deer antler rubbing, so the pretty bark is obscured. Frustrating to say the least.

Another aspect of CM's which I think is often overlooked is the pretty fall color (#2).