Crapemyrtle – Tree or Bush?

Q: Would crape myrtles be classified as a tree or large bush? Our neighborhood is ten years old and many homeowners are removing their oaks and maples and replacing with crape myrtles.

A: I think the definition varies according to the form the crapemyrtle naturally wants to assume. I have a three-foot high ‘Pokomoke’ crapemyrtle that is nothing if not a bush. But my thirty-foot tall ‘Natchez’ is definitely a tree. If your neighbors are worried that the ultimate size of oaks and maples would be too large for their homesite, I could see the point of removing the large trees. But if there is plenty of room, I see no reason to remove stately oak trees.