Category: Tree Care

Garden Maintenance / Tales from the Help Desk / Tree Care / Weather / Winter

 by Patsy McGrady

Tales From the Help Desk: Crape Myrtle Bark

Q.  My crape myrtles have splits on the bark.  What is going on? A.  Your crape myrtles appear to have sun scald.  Crape myrtles, Lagerstroemia indica, are considered a relatively problem-free tree. The Clemson Cooperative Extension website cites the most common problems as powdery mildew, Cercospora leaf spot, aphids, Japanese beetles, sooty mold, and the recently recognized crape myrtle bark scale. Clearly, the photo of your tree shows no indications of any of these diseases and insects. Your tree likely...

Garden Maintenance / Gardening on the Wild Side: Working in Harmony with Nature / Tales from the Help Desk / Tree Care

 by Patsy McGrady

Tales From the Help Desk: Growths on Tree Bark

Q:  Something is growing on the bark of my tree.  Is that a problem? A:  It depends.  If it is flat and looks rather lacy, it’s lichen and does not harm the tree. If the growth on your tree bark is shaped like a shelf and looks like a mushroom, it is a conk. Conks indicate that the tree has internal decay. Lichen is a symbiotic relation between certain types of fungi and algae. They have a very shallow attachment...