Differential bee attraction among crape myrtle cultivars (Lagerstroemia spp.: Myrtales: Lythraceae)

Abstract

Lagerstroemia is a genus of plants comprised of deciduous shrubs or small trees native to China southward into Southeast Asia. There is a wide range among cultivars of tolerance to key pests and diseases, such as powdery mildew, Erysiphe australiana (McAlpine), flea beetle, Altica spp., crape myrtle aphid, Tinocallis kahawaluokalani Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Aphididae), and Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). We found variation in bee visitation to 40 cultivars evaluated in a 2-yr study in north Georgia. The cultivars 'Seminole' and 'Victor' were the two most often visited by all bees, including honey bees, carpenter bees, and several small bee species. 'Apalachee', however, was the cultivar most frequently visited by bumblebees. Plant height and flower color also influenced frequency of bee visitation. Dark pink, dark purple, and white were the flower colors most frequently visited among the nine color categories evaluated. Pollinator visitation should be a consideration in cultivar choice along with pest susceptibility and horticultural attributes.