Question: My crape myrtle’s flowers don’t open properly. They have a white mold on their buds. What will stop it?

Answer: That’s powdery mildew. Researchers who are evaluating mildew resistance between varieties will look first at the flower buds, even though the disease is more obvious on the leaves. Control it with a systemic fungicide. Plant crape myrtles where they have good air circulation, and try to keep irrigation water off their leaves. The varieties bearing Indian tribal names, introduced from the breeding program of the United States National Arboretum, were selected because of their resistance to this disease.,