Happy Monday and we hope you all had a great Christmas! Our plant of the week today is the Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica), one of Louisiana’s favorites. If you’re planning on trimming your Crape myrtle trees, the end of December/beginning of January is the best time to do so, while the plant is still dormant. Make sure not to trim your tree back so much it causes knots in the branches. This is called Crape Murder and not necessary!
Crape myrtles are native to the Philippines, Japan, central Himalayas, southern China and Indochina. The petals resemble crepe paper and the bark and leaves are similar to the myrtle plant, giving the Crape myrtle its name. The flowers come in pink, red, purple, and white, with some varieties offering magenta, lavender, or even a unique pink/white color. Speaking of the flowers, Crape myrtles are known as the ‘Tree of 100 Days’, because they bloom from June into September. It’s also nicknamed the ‘Flower of the South’, highlighting its popularity here. Let us know if you have any questions!