If you’ve ever experienced “raining” or dripping underneath your Crape Myrtle trees, you’re not alone. Crape Myrtles tend to leave drippy, sappy messes on decks, sidewalks, cars, driveways, and anything else below. So, why do Crape Myrtles seem to weep and drip?
If it looks like your Crape Myrtle is crying, weeping, or dripping, it’s probably not water raining down. The more likely explanation is that you are dealing with an aphid infestation. When aphids feed on your Crape Myrtle, they secrete honeydew which drips onto everything below.
Aphid secretions – gross! While it may sound terrifying, it’s actually a very common issue with Crape Myrtles. It’s really more of an inconvenience than anything, and normally won’t cause serious harm for your Crape. In this article, we’ll discuss what’s going on with your tree and what you can do about it to control the sticky drippings.
Do Crape Myrtles Weep or Drip Water?
Many plants go through a natural process of weeping, dripping, or sweating. This is known as “guttation,” and it’s a way that plants can rid themselves of excess moisture.
Crape Myrtles can experience guttation, but normally not to the extent that would result in weeping and dripping.
Guttation in Crape Myrtles looks like small, white, crusty deposits on leaf tips. They normally look like chalky crystals. If you see these tiny white deposits (about the size of a pencil tip), it means your leaves have been expressing water, potassium, and sugar, leaving a little mound of dried crystals behind.
Crape Myrtles typically experience guttation when relative humidity is high and transpiration is low. Fluids evaporate from the leaves, with deposits of solid minerals staying behind in their solid form on leaf tips.
However, if you’re seeing dripping water or it looks like it’s raining underneath your Crape Myrtle, it’s likely not guttation.
Why is My Crape Myrtle Dripping Sap?
If you’re wondering why it’s raining underneath your Crape Myrtle or why you have sap dripped all over the place, there’s a simple explanation. But you’re probably not going to like it. Dripping from your Crape Myrtle large enough that you can see is likely not water at all. It’s not even sap.
Instead, it probably means you’re dealing with an aphid infestation. The “sap” or “rain” that you’re seeing fall from the canopy is actually honeydew, which is a sugary substance that aphids excrete while they feed.
Crape Myrtle aphids are pests that are specific to Crape Myrtles (meaning they only feed on these trees), and they typically start showing up in the middle of summer.
If you’re experiencing the dripping and weeping problem, the infestation is probably quite severe. However, aphids don’t normally cause serious problems for your Crape Myrtle other than cosmetic damage, so you don’t need to worry about them killing your tree.
Still, there are other problems related to aphid infestations and honeydew, so you’ll want to watch for early signs of aphid activity to keep the population under control.
What Drops from Crape Myrtle Trees?
If you’re trying to figure out what’s dripping from your Crape Myrtle, the first thing you can do is investigate the droplets. Look at the ground or any objects around the Crape Myrtle to see what’s collecting.
Water droplets will dry and not leave a sticky, dirty residue. However, you’ll most likely notice that you’re seeing sticky substances. If there is black growth on the droplets, that’s a definite indication that you’re dealing with honeydew and black sooty mold.
You can also look at the leaves themselves. If they look wet and shiny, that’s probably honeydew coating the foliage.
You can also look for the presence of aphids themselves by checking the undersides of leaves. To the naked eye, they may look like tiny black or green specks.
What is Honeydew? Is it Sap?
Honeydew is not sap, even though it looks and feels like it. Honeydew is a sugary liquid produced by Crape Myrtle aphids and some scale insects. As the aphids feed, they inject some of their saliva into the plant. During this process, they also excrete a mix of saliva and phloem from the plant.
Even though aphids are tiny insects, they can excrete large amounts of honeydew. It can cause quite a mess on decks, patio furniture, and cars parked underneath Crape Myrtle trees.
Honeydew can also attract other pests, like ants, who like to feed on the sugary substance. However, the more concerning problem is when honeydew coats the lower leaves and branches of your Crape Myrtle, creating an ideal environment for black sooty mold.
What to Do About Your Weeping Crape Myrtle
If your Crape Myrtle is weeping honeydew, it means you have a pest problem to deal with. Crape Myrtle aphids are such common pests for these trees that we’ve dedicated an entire article to dealing with them, which you can read here.
Aphids have plenty of natural predators, which is the best way to rid your landscape of these pests. Encourage the presence of lady beetles (ladybugs), parasitic wasps, and green lacewings to help control the population. You can also manually remove them using a stream of water to knock them off the leaves.
For more severe infestations, you may be able to use an insecticidal soap to treat the leaves and kill off the aphids. But this may not be an option if your Crape Myrtle is very large.
Insecticides should be a last resort and only used if absolutely necessary. Many insecticides do more harm than good as they can kill or deter the presence of beneficial insects, which may cause your aphid problem to get worse over time.
If you’re seeing signs of black sooty mold, you’ll want to try to address the aphid problem as soon as possible. While sooty mold isn’t typically a fatal condition, it can cause a lot of stress for your Crape Myrtle and lead to premature leaf drop and reduced blooms.
Are There Any Crape Myrtles that Don’t Weep or Drip Sap?
If you’re in the market for a new Crape Myrtle, you can go with one that’s resistant to pests like the Crape Myrtle aphid. If you can keep aphids away from your tree, you’re less likely to have to deal with the dripping honeydew problem.
Hybrid varieties may be more resistant to aphids, so consider one of these:
- Muskogee
- Natchez
- Acoma
- Tuskegee
- Hopi
- Tuscarora
- Biloxi
- Zuni
- Apalache
- Comanche
- Sioux
- Tonto
- Choctaw
- Fantasy
Still, no plant is 100% immune to aphid damage, so prevention is key. Plant your Crape Myrtle in full sun and keep it healthy and happy to reduce the potential for pest damage from aphids and other unwanted guests.
How to Clean Crape Myrtle Sap (Honeydew)
If you have sticky spots on your car, patio furniture, or anything else that’s been sitting under your Crape Myrtle, it’s actually easier to remove than regular tree sap. Still, you’ll want to clean it off as soon as possible so that it doesn’t start growing black sooty mold or attracting ants and other insects.
A simple mixture of warm water and dish soap will do the trick. Mix a bucket of warm soapy water and use a soft-bristled brush to clean off the sticky substance. Then, rinse with clean water and repeat if needed.
You can also use soapy water to clean black sooty mold from your Crape Myrtle leaves, but be sure to rinse off all the soap and only do it on a day that’s not too hot.
Putting It All Together
If your Crape Myrtle is crying or weeping, it doesn’t mean that your tree is sick. You’re more likely to find that a sap-like substance is dripping from your foliage.
When you see this sticky substance on your leaves or on the ground around underneath your Crape Myrtle, it means you’re probably dealing with an aphid problem. Aphids excrete a sugary substance called honeydew as they feed.
By dealing with the aphid problem, the honeydew will also go away. Keep your Crape Myrtle happy and healthy to reduce pest problems, and check out this article for more tips on identifying and dealing with pesky critters on your Crape.