2021-07-23   Linda's  Crape Myrtles

By the way, I had to look up all the technical names.  I know nothing about Botany except how to spell it (I think).  If there's no label, I'm lost. Fortunately, there's the internet for dummies like me if my wife doesn't know the name.  She's my real lifesaver sometimes, though.  For example, I just asked her how to spell "Label."  According to the net, "Lagerstroemia Indica" is the botanical name for Crape Myrtle, "... a deciduous evergreen tree and shrub native to the Indian subcontinent", (according to Wikipedia).  It isn't native to North American but it's been growing here since my great-great-grandfather was born (1787). We have 3 different colors of 'em on our property, most of which were here when we bought the place, but some we've purchased or transplanted.  They grow suckers around the base which do well here in middle Georgia when we transplant them. Most people in this state trim them heavily every year but they'll grow up to 40 ft if you leave them alone and will provide nice shade.

White This one was here when we first moved here in 2009.  Of all the ones already here when we moved here, this one has grown the least.  We're not sure why.  The photo below shows the full tree.  In the closeup below that, you can see a lot of tree lichens.  I thought they were harmful but one website I found says they aren't.

White (closeup) These photos were taken when it was really overcast.  Photo colors change from one camera to another, even from one moment to another depending on a lot of things.  Almost always, though, these flowers are really, really white whether in full sun or when clouds block the sunlight.

Pink I call these pink.  You may call them something else.  You'd be surprised how much the color of these things changes depending on how the light hits them and what time of day it is.  They can go from much lighter to what you see below to an almost Purple color.

Pink (closeup) Like I said, the color seems to change depending on a lot of things.  Neither the photo above nor this one was edited except for size yet the color of the one below seems brighter.  It's a photo of the exact same tree taken with the exact same camera and lens with the same settings.  The two photos were taken just moments apart.  This is a good example of what the pink trees usually look like, though.

Red I think this red one may be one we bought, the only one we bought.  The photo below doesn't do it justice.  In bright sunlight it is a very deep, true red color where the others (in distance behind) are actually much lighter.

Red (closeup) Like the others, the red one in full bloom is covered in mounds of tiny blooms.  The flowers that are turning to seed begin to yellow, adding a lot of variety to the color when seen from a distance.

Comparison of Red & Pink The light in this photo is brighter and gives a better comparison showing how much deeper the red color is compared to the other tree in the distance behind.

Crape Myrtle berries are hard, round seeds formed when the blooms fall off.  The trees are loaded with them but I never see them sprout anywhere.  The birds must eat them all.  I read some place that if you want to sprout these seeds once they're fully mature, you have to put them in the refrigerator for a few weeks so they'll think it's winter.  Otherwise, they'll never pop open and sprout.

Crape Myrtle row Linda dug up several suckers from the roots of a few trees in the yard and planted them in a row along the property's edge.  They've done quite well since she planted them and are now taller than I am.

Yellow Hibiscus She bought two yellow Hibiscus (Rosa Sinensis) trees because the two we now have are pink and purple.  These are short now, only 2 ft. high, but they'll eventually reach 15 to 20 ft. and will be covered in these large, bright yellow blooms.

The neighbor's "Century Plant" ... so named because they bloom so seldom.  They're called "Maguey" in Mexico.  The web says the botanical name is "Agave Americana."  We don't have one so I thought I'd take a photo of the one next door since they're so common here. Supposedly they only bloom once in their lifetime and may take 10 to 20 years or more to do so.  When they do, they put forth a shoot in the middle so tall that it looks like a tall tree trunk.  I've seen a few bloom locally. Click the photo below to see a side-by-side comparison with one that's blooming then click your "Back" button to return to this page.

The Neighbor's Magnolia (closed) The neighbor's next door and those across the street planted Magnolias.  That was very thoughtful of them because they were renters and both moved before their trees matured.  The trees were tiny when they were first planted a few years ago.  I was pretty surprised how quickly they've grown to between 12 and 15 ft. tall today.  The web says Magnolias can grow 70 ft. tall and spread 50 ft.  I've seen some that big.

Magnolia (open) These flowers are huge, the size of a saucer or desert plate!

Lantana I showed the photo below on the page I created for Linda's flowers.  Look how much her Lantana has grown in just 2 months! (scroll down to see a comparison)

I'll close this photo essay with one final pic of a Crape Myrtle. I'm honored to be a citizen of one of the original 13 colonies.  I took the photo below at a Museum in Effington County, GA.  The county was named during the American Revolution in 1777 after a British officer who refused to go against his neighbors and sided with the Americans during the war. This moss-draped Crape Myrtle is about as "Southern" as it gets!