Lagerstroemia indica
Lagerstroemia indica | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Myrtales |
Family: | Lythraceae |
Genus: | Lagerstroemia |
Species: | L. indica
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Binomial name | |
Lagerstroemia indica |
Lagerstroemia indica, commonly known as a
Description
The bark is thin and about 2mm. thick, smooth, pinkish-gray and mottled, shedding each year. Leaves also shed each winter, after spectacular color display, and bare branches re-leaf early in the spring; leaves are small, smooth-edged, circular or oval-shaped, and dark green changing to yellow and orange and red in autumn.
Flowers, on different trees, are white, pink, mauve, purple or carmine with crimped petals, in
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Crape myrtle during summer inSombrerete, Mexico
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Same tree during fall
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Autumn foliage
Distribution and habitat
Lagerstroemia is a common planting in
Cultivation
In the United States, Lagerstroemia indica is a very popular flowering shrub/small tree in mild-winter states (
Frequently L. indica is root hardy to Zone 5 (−10 °F or −23 °C), meaning it will be killed back during harsh winters but regrow from the roots and flower in summer. As such Northern gardeners treat it more like a perennial than a tree or shrub. Too much watering and over-fertilizing can decrease the cold hardiness because it stimulates new growth late in the season that does not have time to harden off.[8]
Lagerstroemia indica is frost tolerant, prefers full sun and will grow to 6 m (20 ft) with a spread of 6 m (20 ft). The plant is not picky about soil type but does require good drainage to thrive. Once established it is also quite drought hardy, though it benefits from the occasional deep watering during the summer months.[8]
15
Pests and diseases
In the Southern U.S. mildew and fungal diseases have traditionally posed problems for L. indica. This was a major motivation for developing the L. indica × L. fauriei hybrids, which show increased resistance to powdery mildew and fungus. The fungal pathogen Cercospora lythracearum can infest the plant in summer during hot, rainy weather and cause premature leaf drop. Gardeners plant resistant hybrid varieties or use fungicide sprays to help control this.[10]
Insect problems with Lagestroemia indica include the crape myrtle aphid,
Crape myrtle topping
During the winter, gardeners will often lop off the branches of large specimens, to manage size and encourage more profuse summer bloom. This is colloquially known as "crape murder" because of the drastic pruning involved, leaving a bare trunk during the winter and early spring.[11] Tree topping of crape myrtles is a common occurrence, but is not recommended nor endorsed by many professional standards or arboricultural organizations.[12]
Culture
In 1983,
References
- ^ "USDA GRIN Taxonomy". Npgsweb.ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
- ISSN 1000-1522.
- ^ a b "Lagerstroemia indica - Plant Finder". Missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
- ^ "Lagerstroemia indica (Crapemyrtle, Crape Myrtle, Crepe Myrtle) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
- ^ Hilary Newell (2012-09-13). "Crape Myrtle - A Great Late Season Shrub". Nantucket Chronicle. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
- ^ Barbara Kishbaugh (September 1993). "Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia Indica)". Cochise Co. Master Gardeners. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
- ^ Steve Bender. "History of Crape Myrtles in the South". Southern Living. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
- ^ a b c d Kathleen Norris Brenzel, ed. (2007). Sunset Western Garden Book. p. 430.
- ^ Adrian Higgins (2015-03-18). "How to choose the right crape myrtle". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
- ^ a b "Crape Myrtle Questions & Answers - US National Arboretum - USDA". Usna.usda.gov. 2004-10-14. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
- ^ Adrian Higgins (2015-03-08). "How to avoid hacking at your crape myrtle this spring". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2017-05-31.
- ^ "Australian Standard : Pruning of amenity trees" (PDF). Saiglobal.com. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
- ISBN 9788492444670.
External links
- Flora, The Gardeners Bible, ABC Publishing, Ultimo, NSW, Australia, 2005