Question
I am a board member of a town house association in Dublin, Ca.  We are replacing 58 Plum trees because of the mess they make when the fruit falls,even though we have them sprayed.  Some suggestions for replacements are:  Tristania, Acer Maple, Carolina Laurel
Cherry, Malus Crabapple, Photinia, Prunus, Redbud, Flowering Plum (no fruit) Crape Myrtle, and Japanese Maple. We want something that is not messy and probably continue the red theme.  Do you have any suggestions?

Answer
I would go with crept myrtle the red variety. Selections of crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia spp.) with true red flowers are now widely available, thanks to new and dramatic improvements in crape myrtle flower color. As with other colors of crape myrtle, red-flowered selections are free-flowering and will continue to produce flowers throughout summer and on into autumn. Moreover, red-flowered crape myrtles are available in all sizes, suitable for any sunny spot in the yard or in containers.

Shrub forms make excellent accents in a shrub border when planted in groups. Dwarf plants are effective as large groundcovers, perennial bedding plants or container plants. Tree-size crape myrtles grow more than 12?tall in ten years. Semi-dwarf crape myrtles grow between 4?and 12?tall in ten years, and dwarf crape myrtles generally stay shorter than 4? at least during the first five years.

All crape myrtles need full sun. This is especially true with red-flowered crape myrtles since shade or cloudy weather can cause some selections to lose their red flower color.

Crape myrtles are tolerant of most planting conditions, with two exceptions. First, crape myrtles grow poorly in wet soils. Second, crape myrtles should not be planted too deep. Crape myrtle root systems grow best in well-aerated soil or near the soil surface, and plant growth, flowering, and vigor are reduced when root systems are planted below the soil level or in wet, poorly drained soils.

Crape myrtles generally require little pruning if properly placed in the garden. Occasional pruning to improve plant shape may be done anytime after leaves have fallen. However, avoid hard pruning that removes stems or branches three or more inches in diameter. This severe pruning results in excess leafy growth, sprouting and delayed flowering.

Tip pruning to remove old flower clusters promotes reflowering but is not practical for large plants or low maintenance gardens. Tip pruning is largely unnecessary on many newer red-flowered selections since they naturally repeat-bloom.

For best results and low maintenance, choose a selection whose ultimate size fits its place in the garden. With the new selections now available, a red-flowered crape myrtle is available in any size.

Semi-Dwarf Red-flowered Crape Myrtles
These medium-sized varieties grow from 4?to 12?tall.

Cheyenne. Bright red flowers on this new cultivar from the U.S. National Arboretum. Since it is a hybrid, it should be disease-resistant.
Christiana. Deep red flowers on an upright-rounded plant. Flowers earlier than most other selections.
Siren Red? Dark red flowers on this new selection. Trademarked name of Whit VII.
Tonto. Fuchsia red flowers on this disease-resistant hybrid with a rounded form.
Tree-Size Red-flowered Crape Myrtles
These large varieties grow to over 12?tall.

Arapaho. Good red flowers on this new hybrid from the U.S. National Arboretum. Should be the best disease-resistant red crape myrtle.
Centennial Spirit. Dark red flowers on a stiffly upright plant.
Dynamite? True red flowers on a stiff, upright-rounded plant. Cloudy weather can fade some flowers to the point they turn white. Trademarked name of Whit II.
Red Rocket? Large clusters of cherry-red flowers on an upright-rounded plant. As with Dynamite? cloudy weather fades red color and causes flecks of white on flowers. Trademarked name of Whit IV.