White spots on your crepe myrtle tree may just look like light mold or lichen, but it may be a sign of a bigger issue that sinister and damaging.

A poorly pruned crepe myrtle tree can turn into an eyesore with twiggy growth and a lack of ... vary in size from dwarf shrubs to multi-trunked and single-trunk trees growing to 30 feet tall.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but pro gardeners have plenty of reasons for why you shouldn't plant crepe myrtles.