Q&A – My crape myrtles have small shunts coming out of them. Will they make it?
Question:
My crape myrtles have small shunts coming out of them. Will they make it?
Answer:
These small twig-looking things coming out of the trunks of the tree are the frass from the ambrosia beetle. The insect does not directly harm the tree, but it introduces the ambrosia fungus that will eventually kill the plant. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says this happened to her crape myrtle and she immediately cut the plant to the ground. Because crape myrtles are so tough, they will come back the same season and bloom and recover nicely.
Related Videos:
Treating Crape Myrtle Bark Scale
Why does my Crape Myrtle have curling leaves?
Related Resources:
Ambrosia Beetle Control
My crape myrtles have small shunts coming out of them. Will they make it?
Answer:
These small twig-looking things coming out of the trunks of the tree are the frass from the ambrosia beetle. The insect does not directly harm the tree, but it introduces the ambrosia fungus that will eventually kill the plant. University of Memphis Director of Landscape Joellen Dimond says this happened to her crape myrtle and she immediately cut the plant to the ground. Because crape myrtles are so tough, they will come back the same season and bloom and recover nicely.
Related Videos:
Treating Crape Myrtle Bark Scale
Why does my Crape Myrtle have curling leaves?
Related Resources:
Ambrosia Beetle Control