Crapemyrtles ( Lagerstroemia ) are summer - bloomers in southerly U.S. landscape garden . Grown for over two hundred years , these plants are often yell “ southerly lilac . ”
Crapemyrtles ( Lagerstroemia indica ) , native to China but long cultivated in India , arrive at England ’s Kew Gardens from Asia in the mid – eighteenth 100 . far-flung European finish of crapemyrtles began about thirty eld later .
Introduced by Gallic botanist Andre ’ Michaux in Charleston , South Carolina near the end of the eighteenth century , coarse crapemyrtles have been a mainstay of southerly American gardening ever since .
George Washington received works from the West Indies to spring up at Mount Vernon around the same time . Thomas Jefferson also planted crapemyrtles at Monticello . The earliest crapemyrtle cultivar come from these rootage .
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Garden Resources of Crapemyrtles
Gardens in Williamsburg , VA exhibit plantings of common crapemyrtle in diachronic setting . planting at the 18th hundred Lightfoot House on Francis Street include historically accurate crapemyrtle , purpleleaf plum , yaupon holly sidestep , and tree box seat topiary , enhanced by shade Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree concealment of red oak , crimson maple , Norway spruce , pecan , redbud , andmulberry .
Crapemyrtle blooms from July through September at Colonial Williamsburg . In a May 29 , 2006 Colonial Williamsburg podcast , former NBC journalist Lloyd Dobyns interview interpretive nurseryman Wesley Green about his knowledge of 18th - century plants in the colonial garden along Duke of Gloucester Street . Green says “ The crapemyrtle is probably best experience here in Williamsburg to our northern visitors in the fall meter , because it does not grow much far north of here , so it depends the time of season what is in bloom . The nice matter about a garden , it ’s always a little minute different . ”
Modern cultivars of crapemyrtle metal money and cultivar beautify the street of McKinney , TX . The not - for - net profit Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney Foundation , spring in 1998 , is creditworthy for this urban beautification . More than 4,000 crapemyrtles currently enhance close to 15 miles of medial strips within McKinney ’s metropolis terminal point .
The Foundation ’s goals are to :
Crapemyrtle Breeding and Selection
The role of crapemyrtles in American gardening change in the fifties when John Creech , U.S. National Arboretum ( U. S. N. A. ) , introduced Nipponese crapemyrtles ( L. fauriei ) . compare to vulgar crapemyrtle , Nipponese crapemyrtles :
Nipponese crapemyrtles convey new genic resource to the U. S. N. A. crapemyrtle bringing up program , especially to the work of Dr. Don Egolf ( 1928 - 1990 ) . Results include cultivars of hybrids betweenLagerstroemia indicaandL. faurieiintroduced by the U. S. N. A.
Landscape gardeners now have many sizes and kind of crapemyrtle ( Lagerstroemia ) cultivar from which to choose . selection can suit almost every southern and southwestern landscape painting place setting .
Categories of Available Crapemyrtle Cultivars
Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia) Dwarf Shrubs
Easy - to - grow crapemyrtle ( Lagerstroemia ) dwarf shrubs are neophyte to landscape painting gardens . heat energy resistant , pest - resistant and summertime flowering , they ensure design novelty .
One of the most exciting late horticultural development was the institution of nanus crapemyrtle bush to southern garden landscape painting designs . The big breakthough in crapemyrtle fosterage set about at the U. S. National Arboretum ( U.S.N.A. ) in the 2d one-half of the twentieth one C with the instauration of Nipponese crapemyrtles ( L. fauriei ) by Dr. John Creech . The U.S.N.A. began to inaugurate cultivars of loanblend between the Japanese crapemyrtles and the plebeian crapemyrtle ( Lagerstroemia indica ) .
Landscape nurseryman now have awesome numbers of New crapemyrtle ( Lagerstroemia ) cultivars from which to choose . There are sizes and form to suit almost every southerly and southwestern landscape stage setting . However , it is the dwarf cultivar which excite and inspire garden landscape painting design knickknack and experiment .
Their main site requirements are only full sun and moist , well - drained soil . The peak flowering full point from July to September , autumn foliage color and yr ’ round exfoliate bark go hand - in - hand with size of it and form to make these crapemyrtles a four - time of year plant life . However , as unexampled plants , these deciduous shrubs incline to look like ragged piles of sticks .
These miniature bush are not only leisurely - to - grow , they also bring new possibilities to southern summertime garden innovation . Crapemyrtle dwarf cultivars are shorter than 5′ and may be utilized :
Here are some example of outstanding dwarf crapemyrtle cultivars :
Fleming Filligrees ™ Developed byFleming’s Flower Fields
U. S. National Arboretum Introductions
These hybrid midget , develop and introduced by Dr. Don Egolf , are among the first truthful miniature crapemyrtles .
McCorkle Nurseries’ Gardener’s Confidence™ Collection
Dazzle ® series , developed by Dr. Michael A. Dirr , University of GA at Athens , are easy care , mildew – resistant and compact .
Five Reasons to Grow Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia Indica)
Growing Tree in the backyard will give shade , coolness and vertical appealingness . If the tree or trees that are chosen have more than those three reasons to become part of the family , then they certainly give value for money .
Such a tree is the pop Crepe Myrtle . in the beginning from Asia this beautiful tree is now grown almost worldwide . It is adeciduous treeand has at least five other attributes apart from those above :
The main reason why nurseryman love the crepe myrtle is its beautiful blossom . Like a foam of pinkish , purple or white lacing , the bloom of the crepe Vinca minor dances happily on the end of its branch . Unlike many Tree with flowers there is no unsightly mess to clean up after the bloom has finished because it is so delicate that it just disintegrates and blows forth . There are several nuance of blood-red , pink and purple browse from recondite to pale . It is really difficult to take which is the prettiest . The flower season of crepe myrtle is one of the longest of any tree .
The second grounds why many gardeners chose crepe Vinca minor is that the bark is attractive . It often has streaks of pink and russet shades fuse with the greys . strip occasionally peel off , leaving a pale light-green brown chromaticity . The twigs are a idle pinkish tan colour .
The third rationality to make crape myrtles pop is that they have few disease . Their hardiness includes resistance to drouth consideration . Often they will continue growing slowly – and florescence – in spite of total neglect . Of course , a little attention will increase their growth and lulu .
fourth , the leaves of the crepe Vinca minor are pretty , small and goody . A deep green in the summer , capitulation color are often a vibrant yellow and when they degenerate they can easily be crease up and used as mulch because they break down more quickly than larger leave-taking . They often overlook quickly and take form a yellow pond - reflection around the bottom of the tree before step by step turning Robert Brown .
And the last reason is perhaps the most important , especially for gardeners with only modest yards . While some crepe myrtles are quite tall , they can be purchased as a little shrub . Not much in the fashion of beautiful bark , but every other attribute is present and the flower are down at eye level or below .
Crepe Myrtle Care
Crepe Vinca minor do pull in aphids sometimes and this can be find by the accompanying sooty mould . But a few sprayer with soapy body of water will control it . In fact some nurseries raise crepe myrtle to pull aphids by from their other plants .
Crepe ( sometimes spell crape ) myrtles are often lop back to the chief trunk . This will give slews of flowers the undermentioned time of year , but some people palpate it spoils the lifelike shape of the tree . It also creates a lot of heavier branches that must then be disposed of . A crepe Vinca minor that is allowed to grow to its natural meridian is course shapely . And it will still be covered in blossom .
Crape Myrtle Pruning
To promote a second and third florescence , the flower heads may be pruned when they are past their best . Otherwise pruning should only be done to take out dense center of attention growth and branch that criss - cross .
However , they do tend to sucker , so to insure a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with just one trunk , these sucker need to be swerve off regularly . In some climates they sow well , with the seed emerge from the lawn . These also need to be extract out unless a woodlet of crepe Vinca minor is desired .
Crepe myrtles should be grown in full sun and will grow good in moist conditions with well - drained soil . They can be raise quite easily by cut or germ . The nanus varieties commonly ring myrtlettes can be develop in a expectant wad on a hot , sunny balcony .
Crepe myrtle do not need too much plant food as this will give them caboodle of branches and leave but not much in the way of flower . They grow in USD zones 7 through 9 . Some newer change may be hardier .
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