Non flowering crepe myrtles?

Every year our crepe myrtles bloom beautifully, but this year we have no blooms at all, and there are no buds indicating that blooms will soon appear. Also, the bark seems to be stripped. I know the stripped bark is part of the crepe myrtle make-up, but the lack of blooms is what is confusing me. Any suggestions would be appreaciated!

Non flowering crepe myrtles?
Now, I have to watch your question with your answers. I am having the same problem with mine. In the Hill Country of Central Texas we have had no rain. I am watering them...but, last year I remembered mine didn't flower until the middle of July.....even though I see other Crepe Myrtles in bloom now....Did you know the Crepe Myrtle is the Texas "Bush"? Like the Bluebonnets here, they are very revered.
Reply:You will find the crepe bloom time varies by species and some will bloom twice a summer and others only once a summer. If it was too dry or too shady or otherwise stressed, it may have decided to skip the early summer bloom altogether. A late spring frost or late winter warm-up followed by more seasonal frosts can also damage buds - but since yours does not have any, I would think that either the weather was too dry this spring, stayed cold longer than usual, or there is an overhanging tree that has gotten larger or denser and is shading these trees more than it used to - delaying or preventing bloom. Also reworking the bed around the trees can affect bloom time a little. The stripping is normal - they can look positively skinned. My neighbor has three matching white crepes in her yard, but one gets a lot more shade now from a nearby tree and so it looks dead long after the others have leafed out and it will not bloom until several weeks after the other two do as well - but they used to match! So competition for water with those tree roots, as well as the extra shade, can have a big impact.

For the future - note the date they do bloom and that way you will have an idea in the future of whether they are blooming late or not - I do that with all my plants and sometimes they are earlier or later, but it stops me from being concerned as much as I used to be when I was not sure if they were late or not.
Reply:it is still early. wait till july. it isnt even officially summer till tommorrow.



also plant food helps.