The blossoms are scattering off the crape myrtles every time the wind blows, falling like hot pink confetti. Gin Phillips author of The Hidden Summer
Although it has no fragrance, some aficionados have dubbed the crepe myrtle, “the lilac of the South,” because of the proliferation of its blossoms. On our last trip at the height of this tree’s blooming season, they seemed to be everywhere - spotlighting private yards, adorning city streets, and standing tall along roadways.
According to the Georgia Department of Transportation District Engineer for the Southeast, DOT has planted a few crepe myrtles along an Interstate median, but most of the other trees on public land have been been placed by municipalities and county governments. Whoever is responsible, the show is magnificent.
The engineer explains that the department plants wildflowers twice a year along the roadways. He says, “We have a limited budget, but we do the best we can with what we have.”
And travelers are always blessed by the beauty of the wildflowers.
We have learned that the crepe myrtles that bloom the most profusely are the ones growing in full sunlight. Unfortunately, we didn’t realize that fact when we planted one in partial shade in our yard. It’s a pretty tree, but we see as much green leaf as we do pink flower. Full sun is the reason those growing along the roadside are so majestic.
David Bellamy, writing for “Under the Solano Sun,” a publication of the University of California Agricultural and Natural Resources Department, explains the difference in my spelling of crepe myrtle and that of Gin Phillips, the above quoted author. In the South, the tree is spelled “crepe,” like the crepe paper the flowers resemble. In the West and North, the spelling is “crape.” The plant can also be spelled crepemyrtle or crapemyrtle. The botanical name is “Lagerstroemia.” These trees bloom in many shades of red, pink, white and purple, and botanists are continually attempting to create new versions.
Bellamy says that the tree is native to India, China, SE Asia, Japan, Australia and Oceana. It was introduced to the United States through Charleston, SC, in 1790.
A trip to the Charleston area reveals that the crepe myrtle is just one of several plants brought to the U. S. through this port city. Add tea, camellias, azaleas, and indigo to the list. According to Steve Bender, writing for Southern Living, Andre Michaus, botanist to King Louis XVI, introduced the crepe myrtle into Charleston around 1786. The plant, which would not bloom in rainy England, exploded into color in the South.
At least two places in my native state of Texas have created tourist attractions using crepe myrtles. The Dallas Arboretum and Gardens boast “Crape Myrtle Allee,” a stretch of trees planted on either side of a walkway from the Paseo to Toad Corner. The trees have been nurtured to grow toward each other forming a canopy of branches over the walkway. It has become a popular wedding venue.
The second crepe myrtle tourist site is the “Crape Myrtle Trails in McKinney,” some 30 miles from Dallas. Here the city has planted numerous trees along city streets, enough to draw tourists to town to drive the city streets and marvel at the explosion of color.
Several gardening sites insist that the crepe myrtle attracts hummingbirds. However, Dave Whitinger, executive director of the National Gardening Association, says that he has never seen hummingbirds actually dip their beaks into crepe myrtle blossoms. While they are attracted to colorful blossoms, preferably red, these birds, which seem to be in perpetual motion, prefer tubular flowers.
While hummingbirds might not actually be attracted to crepe myrtles, tourists are. And in driving south to north and back across Georgia, I came to appreciate even more this slender tree with its multitude of blossoms and unique trunks. Anytime the wind rustles the branches, the flowers shed petals like Phllips’ “hot pink confetti.”
I learned early on, while the blooms are beautiful in their natural settings, they don’t lend themselves to table decorations easily. But along the road, they are a show to see.
2021
Comentários