We Love Durham NC

Make a Hole, Make It Wide

Crape myrtles grow very well in North Carolina. You can plant them in any kind of soil, in the hottest, driest part of your yard, and ignore them completely, and they will grow beautifully. I think you should plant a whole forest of crape myrtles in your yard and we’d have a surplus in the bee population.

Something about digging holes in North Carolina is that there is clay (hence all the potteries around). This clay can be 1″ from the top of the ground, or deeper, or not at all. I’ve found if you start digging a hole and hit clay, best fill it back in and dig a hole somewhere else. (I did manage to put in a tether ball pole, but it required a special steel spike from my neighbor to get through 12″ of clay, and I won’t be doing that again.)

I was going to plant these guys in the back yard, but couldn’t find a clay-free area with enough sun, so they’re going up front.

2 Comments to Make a Hole, Make It Wide

1. 

   They will grow in the clay also. I love crape myrtles also. I am looking for a deep red one for my back.
Deka Marie on August 29th, 2008
2. 

   Oh, the deep red ones are pretty. My problem with the clay is that I can’t dig a hole in it! :)
Valerie on September 1st, 2008

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