How crape myrtle is grown
How crape myrtle is grown
Crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica L., 1759) is a plant of the Lytraceae family, native to Southeast Asia, in particular to Southeast China, but is also present in the wild also in Java, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam , Cambodia and the Andaman Islands.
This plant was introduced in many other parts of the world, such as in Europe, when it was introduced in the mid-1700s, coming from China.
Lagerstroemia indica, well soon, spread very quickly thanks to its aesthetic qualities. In Asia it is commonly used for the production of wood: in fact that of this plant has the advantage of not being attacked by insects, of being very compact and of having a very appreciable reddish color.
The reproductive structures are showy terminal panicles that bloom in summer.
The flowers are a few cm broad and have a calyx of six sepals and a corolla of six petals with a thin and elongated nail and an elegantly wavy flap. The color varies from purplish red to white. The fruit is a septifrage capsule that opens at the top along the edges of the carpels while keeping the central axis intact. The seeds are small.
Cultivation –
Crape myrtle is a plant that prefers a sunny place, or in partial shade but in full sun it provides abundant and colorful flowering; this tree tolerates both cold and summer heat and environmental pollution well.
If grown with its natural posture it becomes a plant with a very wide expanded crown, even if it is often grown as a sapling or bush.
It is a plant that prefers well-drained and humus-rich soils, possibly clayey or calcareous even if it can grow without problems in any soil, even if it does not like water stagnation.
As for watering, young specimens may need watering during the hottest months of the year or in case of prolonged drought. If the specimens are found in the ground they rarely need to be followed from the water point of view. Adult plants form a root system that allows them to overcome the summer period without the need for irrigation.
Planting must be carried out in autumn or spring and especially in this second case it will be necessary to provide irrigation especially in the first year of life, avoiding stagnation.
It is advisable for the plant to place mature manure or other organic compost in the hole that will house the young seedling. Fertilization will then be carried out every year at the beginning of spring with the same organic substance placed on the collar of the plant and covered with the same soil as the area where the plant grows.
The plant can also be multiplied and reproduced by seed or by cutting.
Uses –
Crape myrtle is a flowering and foliage tree widely used in parks and road trees. Over time, many varieties have been selected that differ in color and posture.