Lagerstroemia Indica, Common Crape Myrtle – Plant

Description

Lagerstroemia Indica, Common Crape Myrtle – Plant

Lagerstroemia indica, the crape myrtle (also crepe myrtle, crêpe myrtle, or crepeflower) is a species of flowering plant in the genus Lagerstroemia of the family Lythraceae. It is native to the Indian Subcontinent (hence the species epithet indica), and also to Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan. The genus name honours Swedish botanist Magnus von Lagerstroemia. It is an often multi-stemmed, deciduous tree with a wide-spreading, flat-topped, rounded, or even spike-shaped open habit. The tree is a popular nesting shrub for songbirds and wrens.

The crepe myrtle is a favorite of many southern gardeners. (Crepe myrtle is the preferred common name in the south). The draw for this plant is that is blooms at a time when most trees are not blooming. If the plant is healthy, it will be covered with blooms that will last for months during the hottest part of the summer.