Tree Id

I've asked professional gardeners, and they are never sure. Any ideas?

The leaves turn a deep red in the autumn. The bark seems to flake off, right now the trunk and stems seem.quite bare. I'm always surprised how it stands up to the winds here, as it really bends and sways!

 

Lagerstroemia?

 

Good shout. (Never heard of it till I googled it). Crepe myrtle. I think you are on to something there!

 

Yes - quite certain that's what it is. It's always been very tall and slender, unlike lots of the other examples I see.

Is there anything I can or should do to care for it more. It's basically just been left to it's own devices for years

 

They dont normally flower that well in the UK as they need a fair amount of heat and probably a slighter longer growing season, I have a couple that just dont really make it and flowering is poor.
You can winter prune if you want to, if its getting too big, as they flower on new wood.
Or you can just let it grow, the bark is nice.
I have one that is from a dwarf strain which flowers well every year in late August and September.

 

I can't really recall any flowering. Maybe it's been so unremarkable, I've never noticed. But it's.knly in the last 12 months I've started to take real notice.

I do like the bark, agree with that. I'm thinking of topping it, especially as there is a.lot of dead wood high up and it will help against the wind rock a little. Wait for the winter, you think?

Added picture of what I will remove

 

Definitely wait until winter, you could go harder back than that if you want to reduce the height a couple of feet.

Any flower buds form on the ends of the new shoots in July and open from August and right into October, but they may have been too high up to notice, if the weather is not warm and sunny the flowers don't open well and are not really noticeable.

 

Thanks @pete. I'm glad to hear it should respond well to pruning. It must be well over twelve foot to the tip, so I could bring it down a bit by the sounds of it.

I'll add it to my calendar!

 

Just dont go down too far and I'd keep the bottom few feet clear, as it is now, to show off the bark.

 

Ah definitely..I probably don't plan on taking more than a third off the height. Never thought of pruning it to be honest, because it seems so sluggish. Guessing it will spark a bit of life back in to it.

Do you suppose it's worth clearing more of the lawn around it and mulching or feeding?

 

I dont think they are very hungry plants, mine grow well enough, I never feed trees, but my soil is basically a clay topsoil with clay and sandstones under about a foot.
You could try a mulch if the soil is thin and sandy.

I'm not sure where you are but they definitely do better in warmer parts of the country and appear drought tolerant and surprisingly hardy frost wise.

I think yours looks pretty good really apart from the dead parts in the top, they are not massively leafy trees in my experience.

 

I'm North West England, sandy coastal spot. Drought tolerance must be its skill where I am. I rue the day the previous owner of my house put the water meter in!

 

You might not get enough heat for it to flower but the autumn colours are good, I find.

Yeah the drainage is good, they seem to like dryer conditions mostly.