Crape Myrtles were first introduced in this country in the late 1700's by French botanist Andre Michaux in Charleston SC. It took another Frenchman, Fred Huette to encourage Norfolk to plant them. Huette was the Supervisor of Norfolk Parks and Recreation in the 1930's and he realized that this area's mild winters and long warm summers were the perfect climate for the trees. The city embraced them, and beginning in the middle of the last century, it became the street tree of choice. In older neighborhoods, including mine, it sometimes feels like you are driving through fragrant tunnels of pink, red, white and purple. My wife and I go out of our way to ride down streets that are heavy with them and show each other our favorites.
It is a very democratic tree in that you see them used at public housing projects to the grandest of estates and everything in between. It has also become one of the landscaper's favorite, and it is actually difficult not to see one, whether you are in a commercial or residential area. They are common --- but some things are common for a reason. What else are you going to plant that takes the heat, the humidity, the occasional droughts and floods, and blooms for two months in the harshest part of the summer? If this isn't enough, their bark can be stunning, fall foliage is always colorful and persistent, and the branching structure on older specimens is sculptural. I realize that this is not the only part of the world where they grow, nor are they everybody's favorite tree, but to me they mean summer and they mean home.
If you would like to see what is distracting other gardners, please visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.
Wonderful. I have two in our neighbours drive that we can see very well, like they are in our place. They are very tall, apparently there are two types, and probably a smaller one as well. The neighbours trees are hot pink.
ReplyDeleteWe have two of the normal types in our yard, and some in our new house yard too.
I have heard that Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia has gone into them in a big way as well.
What a great post on a very pretty tree. It's nice to have that kind of background.
ReplyDeleteBloom day is all about what is blooming, doesn't matter in whose garden. We have no crepe myrtles, here, too cold for that, so I've enjoyed your post showing all the different varieties and shapes and uses of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining in for bloom day!
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
It looks like your city has done a terrific job with their landscaping.
ReplyDeleteLes,
ReplyDeleteLove Crape myrtle. I have a few Natchez and they make me smile. The house with the Russian sage...I'll take that yard!
Gail
Your pictures are absolutely beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteWow! What a gorgeous city you live in. I must say I am jealous! Look at the beauty that surrounds you! The crepe myrtles are very pretty.
ReplyDeleteAmen! Now we need to remember to do a post in the dead of winter to show the gorgeous form and beautiful bark of (correctly pruned) crape myrtles. It's nice to hear Fred Huette mentioned - his (now out of print) book, "Gardening in the Temperate Zone" was given to me while I was in college, and it's still one of my prize possessions.
ReplyDeleteTo All,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comments. Norfolk can be a gray as a navy frigate, but the Crapes change all that for a couple of months. Thanks to Linda who wins the "furtherst travelled" award. Jeff, I didn't know that there was a book written by Fred Huette, I'll now be on the lookout for a copy. Carol, thanks for the legitimizing my straying post.
Les
Les, crapemyrtles are very popular in Oklahoma too. I just wrote an article about them for Oklahoma Gardener. We have one of the foremost crapemyrtle hybridizers in Oklahoma, Dr. Carl Whitcomb. I got to interview him for the article. Happy Bloom Day. Nice blog.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteMy crape myrtle is a little bitty thing that has yet to bloom. It arrived as a mere twig among other twigs (10 or so) when I joined the Arbor Day Society. I am so pleased to see what to expect from it as it matures. Already it earns its place with fall color. Considering microclimates, Portland OR goes from zones 7 thru 8, so it should do OK here, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteRed,
ReplyDeleteDr. Whitcomb developed many of the Crapes we sell at work, including one of the best reds - Dynamite.
Rikki,
I am sure that your twigs will survive your winters, grow, and have good fall foliage. I don't know alot about your summer weather, but Crapes need a long period of hot (not warm, but hot) weather to bloom profusely.
Les
Indeed, crepe myrtles have been widely embraced for good reason. They are wonderful trees. It's easy for us in the South to take them for granted and even grow tired of their fuchsia and bubblegum pink displays. But your photos show there are lots of other shades, and those allees are gorgeous. Lucky you to get to enjoy them anytime you like.
ReplyDeleteI love Crape Myrtles! I have 3 in my yard, which I transplanted last year. I already thought that I killed them just to notice very late that they actually started to get leaves - just no blooms this year.
ReplyDeleteWe also have a lot in our area. They really make me smile whenever I see them.
The crepe myrtles are blooming down here now too - and I have been happy to see that the 15' one that I transplanted from the front of my place to the side garden (in preparation for demolition in the next month or so) is blooming away...the ones you have shown in this post are just spectacular, and if I get the time, I should take some of Charleston's 'collection'. At first I wasn't a huge fan of them - but now I am, because, basically, they're pretty hard to beat (and beautiful in the winter!).
ReplyDeleteThe crepe myrtle is by far my number one small tree. Nothing surpasses it and in your area they are very stunning! My husband is Army aviation, as such he does training there at Ft. Eustis. We travel there at times. His last trip was two summers ago and those crepes were the most stunning. North Carolina also has stunning crepes, but not anywhere near as old as the ones in the Norfolk/Williamsburg area. Thanks for showing them! P.S. I am TRYING to get our town to adopt them here. Tennesseans tend to grow crepes as shrubs; which takes away from the form and bark. It is blah.
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