Sunday, November 24, 2013

Crape Myrtle Looks Great In Any Garden

By Georgia Diaz


Crape Myrtle, with the Latin name of Lythraceae, comes from a large family of evergreen trees and shrubs. Beautiful, long lasting flowers make these plants especially attractive. They usually start blooming in the beginning of a summer, sometimes even earlier, and continue to bloom until mid autumn.

Flowers can be found in all shades and nuances between white and dark purple and red, but you wont find orange or yellow ones. There are no blue myrtles either, although some varieties may have a blue note. Pink varieties are the most common, and landscape designers gladly use them in their projects, because they stay decorative all summer long.

Some varieties look more like shrubs, and some are shaped like trees, but all are very attractive when they start to bloom. Lately, dwarf and miniature varieties became more popular. There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that they can come from seeds to bloom in one year, and they are small enough to fit in any garden.

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, also known as Banaba, comes from India, and can grow only in tropical and subtropical areas. Sometimes can be found in the most southern areas of the US, as well as on Hawaii. This plant is especially interesting in modern landscaping, and it is popular for its decorative white bark, but also for its large, deep pink flowers.

Myrtles are designed to live in very warm areas, on full sun. If your climate zone is characterized by warm, sunny summers and cold winters, you might consider buying one of dwarf varieties. They also need plenty of sun, but are small enough to be planted in a pot and placed on some warm place during cold winter months, If the winter is relatively mid, you could wrap them with straw, for example, and leave them outside.

Once you decide to buy a myrtle, find a nice, sunny place for it. Remember, they need plenty of sun, so make sure they aren't in shade in any period of the day. If they don't get enough sun, they won't have so many lovely flowers. On the other hand, they won't mind if you plant them into poor soil. A small amount of fertilizer now and then will be more than enough.

You don't need to give them too much water either. Young plants require water in the beginning, and once they start to bloom, if the water is hot and dry, they will appreciate being watered regularly. You won't kill your plant if you give it water regularly, but you will get more leaves and less flowers in this case.

Different varieties have different size, shape and color. Besides, they can have different barks, and their leaf color in autumn is sometimes quite different. You should keep this in mind when choosing your favorite crape myrtle. Learn a little something about pruning as well- This lovely plant will surely transform your garden on the most beautiful way.




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