Tuesday, November 19, 2013

By Georgia Diaz


Crape Myrtle family includes more than fifty species of trees and shrubs, and who knows how many varieties. The Latin name is Lythraceae. This lovely tree is a perfect choice for landscaping, because it is evergreen, and the flowers are especially long-lasting and attractive. It enjoys plenty of sun, and blooms during all summer and autumn, and sometimes even in late spring.

Myrtle colors vary from white to dark red and deep purple, including all beautiful shades in between. The interesting thing is that there are no yellow or orange tones ever, except on pistils and stamens. Beautiful pink shades are highly popular among landscapers, and they decorate the garden during several months.

Widely popular Common Crape Myrtle varieties can look more like a shrub, or more like a tree. Larger trees are suitable for landscaping, while there are also miniature and dwarf varieties that will easily fit even in a small garden. Dwarf varieties are especially popular thanks to the fact you can place a seed in the ground early in the spring and have a blooming plant the same summer.

Japanese variety is especially interesting. It has large, smooth, dark green, fungal resistant leaves. The plant is distinctly tree shaped and can be adapted to colder climates. But the best things are the flowers. They are always white, very large and attractive, with only a slight touch of pink sometimes. They make this plant highly appreciated.

Queen crape myrtle is also known as Banaba. It comes from tropical and subtropic India, and has especially attractive pinky flowers you can imagine. It looks great in public parks and similar places. Unfortunately, it cannot survive harsh climates, but some areas of the States are warm enough for it, for example, southern Texas and California, and, of course, Hawaii.

The main problem with these plants is that they really cannot survive harsh climate. Some people choose miniature and dwarf varieties that can be safely storage inside during winter. Sometimes they can be wrapped in straw, if the winter isn't too cold, but it is always risky.

The most important thing is to provide enough sun for them during summer. These plants really need plenty of sun to bloom regularly, and you should never plant them on a shady place. They enjoy both sun and the heat, but are easy to maintain. The quality of their sol isn't very important factor. They will be perfectly happy in a poor soil, with some fertilizer once in a while.

Young plants need plenty of water when you plant them, but once they accommodate, you should use water sparingly. They do need watering during dry summer months, but if you give them too much water in a spring, they will grow very fast, but you won't get so many flowers.

When choosing your crape myrtle, make sure to read all about the variety you prefer. You should be aware of their leaves color changing in the autumn, and find out more about the size, the color of the bark, shape and pruning for this particular variety. These beautiful plants are easy to maintain and their luxurious beauty will decorate any garden.




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