Q: I’ve seen an online ad for crape myrtle seeds. What is the success rate when planting them?

A: There’s no problem with planting the crapemyrtle seeds but you won’t be able to know what color you have until they bloom in a few years. Even seeds that are collected from a red-flowering plant may yield white-flowering progeny. It all depends on the genes of the two parent plants and how the pollen mingled. Try this for a crapemyrtle you admire: collect seed capsules when they turn brown. Let them completely dry on newspaper. When they are fully opened you’ll be able to shake many seed out. Save them in an envelope and plant outdoors, one half inch deep, in a sunny bed in early April. They should sprout in June.