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CRAPE MYRTLE AT A GLANCE

COMMON NAME: Crape myrtle. Crepe myrtle is an alternate spelling.

The crape myrtle, also known as the ``summer lilac'' or ``tree of 100 days'' for its long bloom period, is one of the most valuable trees for the Hampton Roads area, says Bill Kidd, trees and shrubs buyer for McDonald Garden Center.

``With our hot and dry summers, gardeners are always looking for plants that stand up to our tough summer climate, and additionally reward us with beautiful flowers. These trees are prolific summer bloomers, drought resistant and easy to care for,'' says Kidd.

SPECIES: Lagerstroemia indica (lay-ger-stree'mi-a) named for Magnus von Lagerstroem; (in'di-ka) from India. Lagerstroemia fauriei, unknown in United States until Dr. John Creech of the U.S. National Arboretum brought it back from Japan in the 1950s.

FORM: Upright, open and founded, multiple trunk with dense branching.

SIZE: 2-25 tall, 2-15 feet wide. Moderate to fast grower.

EXPOSURE: Sun

LEAVES: Small elliptical to oval, medium to dark green, often shiny. Red or bronze as leaves open; great fall color in shades of yellow, orange and red.

FLOWERS: Spectacular, long-lasting blooms in white, pink, red, lavender, dark purple, depending on variety.

FRUIT: Round, tan capsule that splits and holds small winged seed.

BARK: Smooth, tan to gray bark peels to expose shades of brown to gray or pinkish underbark.

VARIETIES: National Arboreum introductions: Catawba, dark purple flowers, orange-red fall color, 6-8 feet tall and wide. Cherokee, bright red pyramidal blooms, compact 12-foot growth. Conestoga, lavender flowers, 10-feet tall. Muskogee, lavender flower clusters, red fall color, 20 feet tall, 15 feet wide. Natchez, ornamental trunk at age 5, large white flowers, 20 feet tall and wide. Potomac, pink flowers, tree-like form to 16 feet. Powhatan, purple flowers, 10 feet tall. Seminole, pink flowers open over 6-8 weeks, 8 feet tall and 6-7 feet wide. Tuscarora, coral-pink to near red flowers with recurrent bloom, 25 feet tall. Hopi, pink blooms, 10 feet high. Other varieties offer multicolored flowers and dwarf growth habits.

CULTURE: Likes moist, well-drained, soil rich with organic matter. Tolerates drought and hot spots. Exposure to sun reduces chances of powdery mildew problems.

USES: Showy specimen, decorative plant used alone or in groupings. Ideal for year-round gardening interest. Smaller varieties can be used for hedges, privacy screening in summer. Norfolk Botanical Garden shows how a row of these plants create a ``living fence'' where trunks intricately grow together.

PRUNING: Remove crossing, rubbing, diseased and dead branches for good air and light circulation to prevent disease and pest problems. Prune February before new growth starts. Avoid ``pollarding'' the tree, or cutting it back nearly to the trunk; this practice produces succulent new growth loved by pests and disease. Remove suckers at base of plant.

PROBLEMS: Japanese beetles, aphids, powdery mildew, leaf spot.

Sources: Virginia Cooperative Extension, Landscape Plants of the Southeast

June 1998

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