Many crape myrtle trees across the D.C. region are infested by a bug called bark scale, which leaves behind a black fungal infection. A cure is elusive.

There’s a lot going on with crape myrtles this summer. I’ve gotten quite a few calls about these highly prized ornamental trees of the South.

Once they get older, crape myrtle trees regularly shed their outer layer of bark. This shedding often reveals different shades from tan to rusty brown, adding to the beauty of these trees.

This black substance that's covering the azalea and edging is a fungus called "sooty mold." Both crape myrtle aphids and crape myrtle bark scale insects secrete sticky honeydew residue as they feed.

Crape myrtles, an ornamental tree popular in landscapes throughout the state of Delaware, are prized for their beauty, exfoliating bark in shades of silver and cinnamon, and long-lasting flowers in a ...

Most crape myrtle trees will send up lots of shoots from the base, especially when they are younger and growing rapidly. To maintain a pleasing tree shape, regularly remove these shoots — called ...

WASHINGTON — Crape Myrtle trees are found all over the DMV. They boast beautiful blooms and are a staple of many landscapes. But little white critters, called bark scale, are threatening the trees.

Discovered in Dallas in 2004, the crape myrtle bark scale is a tiny bug that sucks the sap from plants. It releases a sweet liquid called “honeydew,” similar to what aphids and whiteflies produce.

I’m seeing outbreaks of crape myrtle bark scale across Metroplex landscapes. Nothing like we faced following the wet spring of 2007, but nonetheless, enough to let us know that this foreign ...

With the help of UD extension agent Tracy Wootten and a team of student interns, Kunkel monitors UD’s collection of mature crape myrtle trees for crawlers. The trees, purchased with funding from the ...

Another issue with crape myrtles is bark scale, which has become a real problem here in the Gulf South. Crape myrtle bark scale is an introduced insect pest from Asia, and it has a great affinity ...