Middle Tennessee has exploded with the vibrant beauty of Crepe-myrtles.
I don’t know when I’ve seen them this magnificent. Maybe it’s been the moist spring we’ve experienced or the recent hot temperatures, but the Crepe-myrtles are in glorious full bloom.
A member of the Loosestrife family, Crepe-myrtles are an evergreen shrub/tree with graceful and sinewy stems bowing heavy with bunches of crepe-like flowers appearing first in July and continuing until autumn. Crepe-myrtle colors range from purple to red to vivid pink to pale pink to white. And in some parts of the south, they are known as a Cuddle Tree and they were first introduced to this country through South Carolina in 1747.
Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, a part of Clemson University in South Carolina, offers a program on the cultivation and care of Crepe-myrtles.
Today you can find large, old Crepe-myrtles growing near historic homes and in historic neighborhoods reaching 30 feet tall. However there are varieties in dwarf, semi-dwarf, small, medium, and large sizes.
The Japanese Crepe-myrtle was introduced to the US in the 1950s. The Japanese Crepe-myrtle is mildew resistant and can thrive in colder climes.
If you are interested in planting a Crepe-myrtle of your own they are easy to root. Simply find a beautiful example of the bush/tree you’d like to have in your yard. It might be advisable to ask the owner of the property if you can have a “cutting” as a courtesy, but most Crepe-myrtle lovers will happily welcome you and your request. Simply cut the end of one of the branches and dip it in rooting hormone powder found at Lowe’s or Home Depot or your local nursery. Plant the cutting in a sand/peat mix (50/50) and keep moist. The cutting should root in 4-5 weeks and will soon be ready to transplant.
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