Bark Crepe Myrtle Disease Pictures
Since the initial sighting in 2004 the crape myrtle bark scale cmbs insect has been spreading at an alarming rate across the southeast.
Bark crepe myrtle disease pictures. Bark scale along the branch of a crape myrtle. More information on successfully growing crape myrtles is available in hgic 1008 crape myrtle and hgic 1009 crape myrtle pruning. Many people who call us describe their trees as covered in white dots or white cotton like bumps. Scrub the pests away it may sound odd but scrubbing the tree will remove many of the pests thus making other treatment more effective.
Crape myrtle bark scale is relatively easy to identify. When crushed these scales exude pink blood like liquid. Individual blossoms reach 3 inches across. Tree to 25 30 feet tall 15 25 feet wide.
Crape myrtles lagerstroemia indica are essentially trouble free small trees the most common problems include powdery mildew cercospora leaf spot aphids japanese beetles and sooty mold. Crepe myrtle bark scale treatment may require several different techniques and management of the pest requires persistence. The insect was first noted in mckinney texas self designated as america s crapemyrtle city in 2005 and had spread throughout most of the dallas fort worth area by 2010. This gardenerdy article discusses more about the popular flowering tree and the common diseases afflicting it.
It threatens to turn what has his torically been a beautiful low maintenance landscape tree into an unsightly high maintenance landscape tree. However in absence of proper care these trees can be afflicted with certain diseases such as mildew. Bark scale originates from china and was brought to the u s. On a crape myrtle plant.
The showiest and most tender of the crepe myrtles displaying huge clusters of white pink lavender or purple flowers in june and july. A m has identified this pest as eriococcus lagerstroemiae and suspects that it was brought into the u s. It is one of the only scales known to infest crape myrtles. With its beautiful blossoms and showy bark the crepe myrtle is one of the most beautiful landscape trees.
This nonnative scale was first detected in the united states in. Smooth mottled exfoliating bark.