Lagerstroemia indica, more commonly known as the beautiful, the gorgeous and the delicious Crepe Myrtle. Oh, how I love this tree and wish there were more around our streets, gardens and parks. They herald the warm days of summer with eye-popping pinks or majestic white and provide a structural element to the garden during winter when the tree is bare and without its leaves.

The trunk is multi-stemmed which means rather than having a trunk with a mop of green leaves on top like our childhood tree drawings it has any number of trunks sprouting from its base. The trunk is mostly salmon in colour with lovely flecks of green throughout.

Here’s an idea, when the branches are long and strong enough to support weight, you can decorate the bare stems with lanterns or fairy lights or even tea cups.

Decorating a tree any which way you choose!

{I found this picture after I had written this piece, it’s so perfect to share here.}

In spring we start to see the first flushes of new leaves and you just know that with a little patience the crepe fabric flowers will follow. We’ll delight in this sight knowing that the cycle of the seasons will bring a carpet of flowers underfoot when they float down away from the branches. The leaves will change from green to red, yellow, orange and crimson and soon after the trunk will be exposed, letting us know winter is approaching.

We don’t have a Crepe Myrtle planted in our garden, just a sad little one in a pot that my husband rescued {it needs a lot more lovin’ still}. We do however have the luxury of having an uninterupted view of our neighbours bright pink Crepe Myrtle. It is quite old and has the most beautiful display of flowers at the moment {it did have a beautiful display before the storms over Australia Day weekend}.

Our neighbour, the owner of the Crepe Myrtle does a fantastic job of maintaining it. Each year after it has lost all of its leaves {when it is dormant} he cuts it back to about 2m from the ground {remember it is multi-stemmed so it has lots of ‘trunks’}. By doing this he is can maintain its height and it also promotes healthy new growth in spring that results in new branches with an abundance of foliage, followed by an overwhelming display of flowers. This Crepe Myrtle shares close quarters with a mature frangipani {this also gets a chop every now and then} that has a fabulous canopy, maintaining the height keeps them from getting all tangled up in pink and white loveliness.

Oh, and the best bit about the pruning is that our view of the ocean gets replenished each year. Yay!!!

Crepe Myrtles are a fabulous addition to any garden. If you are thinking of adding one to your garden now is the time to purchase, they are flowering in all good garden centres so you can see them in flower and pick the perfect colour.

Lagerstoemia indica – Crepe Myrtle

• Family: Lythraceae
• Plant Type: Deciduous small to medium size tree
• Flowers in late summer to autumn in colours of pink, purple, red and white
• Foliage colour change in Autumn
• Requires full sun but will tolerate some shade
• Prefers moderately fertile, well draining soil
• Prune to shape in winter if required
• Dought tolerant but will produce good flower display if kept moist
• Fertilising not required once established
• Plant in open area with good air circulation

All posts need a Polka Dot so here’s one for those that REALLY like their Crepe Myrtles. How about a Crepe Myrtle print dress like the one below?

Crepe Myrtle print dress from Anthropologie

Until next time.

Carmel