I have no idea. It sounds like a nice combination, though.

bk

From last year
Whirlwind next to crepe myrtle ...,couple of small branches on the left
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Stained glass on the other side

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I have two small/medium crepe myrtles in this bed and it's worked well so far

Crepe Myrtles are very common in the south. Hostas may not like the heat of the south.... or may not survive the less-than-chilled winters.

Where are you?

I can't even imagine putting hostas under my crapes. I have 3 and they are big 20ft+ multi trunk trees with extensive shallow root systems that send up suckers all the time. I'm not sure what type you have, but i thought they were all sun loving. I don't plant under mine but I know crapes hate being buried too deep, so having extra inches of soil on their roots will hurt them. Even if mine provided the shade a hosta needs where i am, i wouldn't want to plant anything under it that would need division.

I live in eastern North Carolina, New Bern. My crepe myrtles are in the sun and the hosta I want to plant under them are sun tolerated.I have hostas in my back yard planted under my dogwood, oak, and magnolia trees and their are doing fine.

So are you zone 7 or 8?
There are a couple people from NC here who would be better able to discuss hosta growing in those zones.

Given that your winters are that warm, hostas may not like being in the ground in your area.

And if the CM's have a fibrous root system, they're going to steal water from the hostas.

Here's what I'd do:
1. go to your profile and update your zone and location so people can comment directly based on your location.
2. re-post this question, but title it something like, 'Hostas in North Carolina".

You'll get the attention of the people who have experience with this!

If you have crepe myrtles in the ground all year long, then you must live between zone 7 and zone 9.

I have crepe myrtles but my hosta are in pots, not in the ground at all. Note I'm in zone 9a. Planted around my crepe myrtles which are not small--one is a Natchez as tall as the power lines, the others are about 8 feet tall--are rosemary and boxwood. Which are things loving dry soil, and crepe myrtles are "drought tolerant" need no watering once they establish. Unless it is totally spittin cotton dry for months on end.

So I'd have to say, there would be no ROOT invasion problems, but a difference in tolerance of dryness. The crepes might not like as much dampness as the hosta, although they might not die from it. Crepe myrtles flourish here, and Mobile is a city on the "highest annual rainfall" chart so.....try them there if you intend to keep the water flowing.

Can hostas be planted under crepe myrtle trees. I have hostas planted under my oak, dogwood, and magnolias which are doing good.

I'm in zone 8a. The whole hosta trial garden at the Dallas Arboretum is planted under crape myrtles. I think the hosta were added later, but i'm not sure. The hosta trials started about 6 years ago. The crape myrtles seem to be a lot older than that. They hosta are planted in raised beds, kind of like berms. (notice the flowers all over the hosta)

(Sorry, I didn't think about this when I first answered your question.)

bk

the only photo that actually shows the crape myrtles

Very lush the way things are planted, BK. The azaleas are huge, and most have shallow root systems, and they appear to be between the hosta and the CM. So the hosta look shaded from the hot Texas sun. Love all those tall scapes blooming too.

I don't go around my CM digging much. The rosemary I planted years ago when the CM was set in place. The only digging in that bed since then was to remove the roses which were not as tolerant of the western sun as the rosemary, the CM, the boxwood, and the Italian cypress. With the roses gone, the plants are more open with better air circulation. I hate ugly roses.

Actually, the azaleas are planted on the peak of the berm, and at that same level the CM are planted. The hosta are all understudy plants. I don't remember what's on the other side, but it's not hosta.

Last year was so bad, that I didn't go back after the spring visit. The moths were virulent everywhere last year. They devastated the hosta. The arboretum does not spray.

I guess I need to renew my membership and go see.

bk

I got these hostas from my mother and placed them under one of my crepe myrtles. Unfortunately we do not know the name of the hosta. Can someone help us?