Dear Neil: Regarding crape myrtle bark scale — Southeastern Virginia has been battling this pest for years. The scale itself will not kill the plants. However, the sooty mold is the real problem. The ...

Also known as "Lilac of the South" due to its popularity in zones 7 to 9, crape myrtle is a deciduous shrub or small tree that explodes with white, deep rose, or magenta blossoms from July to ...