There are two different species of Wax Myrtle (Northern Wax Myrtle and Southern Wax Myrtle). The Northern is semi-evergreen to deciduous; Southern one is deciduous. Northern one would probably is a better choice for you. Regarding the Crape Myrtles, many are fine to zone 6b/7a. Most all of mine survived...even after the Winter from he// (deep snow probably helped with that btw). The thing is, you need to consider heat requirements (as well as cold minimums). If a zone does not experience enough Summer heat, the wood may not properly ripen. So ironically, there are many semi-tropicals that will grow robustly in the Mid-Atlantic zone 7ish climates that do less well in Pacific NW (Zone 8+ climates). Crapes have a relatively high, Summer heat requirement. It's July, see any in bloom around you. Finally, you specifically wanted a 'tree'. Crape may be a viable option for you as a shrub (with some degree if annual dieback), but not sure if a tree is possible. Give it a try and good luck!

The myrtles seem to be suffering from a type of leaf miner, a shield bearer. VERY common in the wax myrtles that I have seen. Can't tell for sure because the image is so blurry, but worth you looking into. Do you notice little threads hanging down from your plant? The tiny insect cuts out small holes in the leaf, then attached a silken thread to it and uses it as a wind sail. There are also diseases similiar but without a better image...... Do you see any round brown spots on the leaves as well? Leaf miners could still be in those, visible to the naked eye. If I think about it later, I'll look up some info I have on this insect and perhaps we can find some on line images. Just can't think of the genus and species of the little guy, right now.

Hi Ritholtz - Leylands are beautiful trees. If you want to trim them that short, they may be more prone to disease over time. It's better to find a plant that you can prune a bit closer to it's mature height. Maybe other can weigh in on this? Neil Sperry says never to "top" a tree. Because I read recently that Neil Sperry (or Howard Garrett) no longer recommends Leyland Cypress for Texas, I marked it off of my consideration list (arborvitae's are prone to a lot of insects?). Because of that, I am focusing more on junipers. You can google evergreen plant nursery for dimensions, "mature" rate, etc... If you are interested, I would do some further research. Last night I was looking at some videos of Wax Myrtle on youtube. I recommend checking the videos and google "wax myrtle trees" images. Yes, they do need to be pruned and trained as a tree (some people want them to grow more as a shrub). They take really well to pruning so it is possible to make them look like a nice tree. I found some really nice ones. Right now, I'm looking at the Majestic Beauty Indian Hawthorne; It grows to the right dimensions, is evergreen, drought tolerant. I would have to find a larger size since it is only moderate growing... Here's what I'm doing - a combination of spartan juniper, Nellie Steven's Holly, Blue Point Juniper, Majestic Beauty Indian Hawthorne, and Cleveland Pear (hardier version of the Bradford Pear - a bit larger and still very dense). I know some people hate the pears but I think they are "well-groomed" and provide good density. Cleveland is less prone to blowing over in an ice storm. Also, according to Neil Sperry, they have a moderate lifespan (25-50 years) and fast growing. In all these trees, I'm taking into consideration - hardiness, drought resistance, density (for privacy) and beauty. I've been reading Neil Sperry's gardening book to help narrow down choices; I recommend it! Hope you can find some answers!

WOW - your wax myrtles look great!! I’ve sprayed my 10 with a 3 in 1 made by Fertilome which was recommended by the garden center and now I’ll keep an eye on them and see what happens. I bought plants in 3 gallon containers that were about 30 inches tall at the time of planting and they have grown about a foot so far this year. i did do a little pruning earlier in the year to get them to flush out more. We have a seldom used neighborhood park adjacent to our lot and I wanted some kind of natural barrier between it and our backyard just in case it gets more use in the future. I had had some experience with wax myrtles as a privacy hedge at a home in South Carolina so thought they would be the ticket here. The difference there was that they were already established and I never had to be concerned with watering or pests. It‘s been so dry here in Jacksonville that I have had to hand water them a couple of times every week. The irrigation system we inherited is set up for grass, not newly planted shrubbery but that has given me the oppoortunity to closely inspect the plants with each watering, not only the wax myrtles but also the azaleas and camillias that I have planted since we bought this place. Thanks for getting back to me. I’s good to hear that your plants are doing so well and are providing the needed privacy. Take care.