Crape Myrtles?

[Guerrero88]

Buy a smaller one (>$100) and water the crap out of it plus some fertilizer. It'll that tall next year

I gave $39.00 a piece for mine on sale at Home Depot four years ago. They were about 5’. Now they are pushing 10-15’.

[.270]

I planted a crype myrtle and a peach tree the same year, and believe it or not, the peach tree provides a bigger canopy of shade. My dogs love hang out under it. Biggest mistake people make with myrtles is cutting the tops off in the winter "crape murder".

[spotsanddots]

Id like to put another oak, or even another mesquite, or m maybe a cedar elm, but 200-300 bucks for a big one is gonna be tough.

[.270]

If you need shade in a hurry and have soft ground, hard to beat a Mexican sycamore. I wish I could plant one, but that don't do well in the rocks. http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/Di...ee.aspx?tid=66

[Guerrero88]

I planted a crype myrtle and a peach tree the same year, and believe it or not, the peach tree provides a bigger canopy of shade. My dogs love hang out under it. Biggest mistake people make with myrtles is cutting the tops off in the winter "crape murder".

It is called crepe murder. But they need to be trimmed back. If you do it the proper way they will continue to grow and thrive. My landscaper showed me how to trim.

[.270]

It is called crepe murder. But they need to be trimmed back. If you do it the proper way they will continue to grow and thrive. My landscaper showed me how to trim.

Good to know, the landscapers around here take a sawzall and cut straight across where the branches split. Hard to watch.

[Guerrero88]

I’ve seen some that look absolutely terrible. I trim mine back about ten inches above the main branches.

[.270]

I’ve seen some that look absolutely terrible. I trim mine back about ten inches above the main branches.

Does that keep them from getting leggy and grow more of a canopy?

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

I have one that has the whole front of the house covered up! It was a spindly half dead looking thing 10 years ago. Now you can't see the house.

[spotsanddots]

Our south texas soil in corpus Christi is freakin grey clay. Hard to even get off shovel.

[snappertapper]

I've got 6 in my back yard that provide a ton of shade, mind you they are 35-40 ft tall.

[Sackett]

I would consider a Burr Oak. They grow well in Clay, Alkaline soil and after they are established, can take drought fairly well. Cedar Elm is not a bad choice either. I would also consider a Winged Elm; they dont grow very tall, but do grow wide and provide a good shade to sit beneath.

[Jtrisler]

We have two big ones on the entrance way to our house. Lots of shade!

[Fishndude]

Hurricane Harvey took out good mesquite tree.

Good mesquite tree in your yard? The only good mesquite tree is located underneath a good slab of meat.

[Guerrero88]

Does that keep them from getting leggy and grow more of a canopy?

I believe so.