Real World Gardener NEW Dwarf Crepe Myrtle is Plant of the Week

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PLANT OF THE WEEK

Crepe Myrtle and Dwarf Crepe Myrtle
Lagerstroemia indica.

This tree might lose its leaves in Autumn, but for all those gardeners who don’t like deciduous trees, the bark is a feature in itself .

The flowers are spectacular and some councils or even neighbours have decided to plant these as street trees.

Crepe Myrtle

Let’s find out about this plant.

I'm talking with the plant panel - Karen Smith, editor of Hort Journal www.hortjournal.com.au and Jeremy Critchley, The Green Gallery wholesale nursery owner. www.thegreengallery.com.au

 

Jeremy’s dwarf cultivar that took 10 years in the making is still to be released.

But there are other dwarf cultivars around such as Crepe Myrtle Little Chief.

Colours of the flowers tend to be in the blue end of the spectrum from pale pink to deep crimson to purples and of course there’s the white colour.

 

Crepe myrtles flower in summer and autumn in panicles of crinkled flowers with a crepe-like texture. 

 

Karen mentioned that the crepe myrtle trees can be coppiced down to a stump about 1 and 1/2 metres of the ground each year, after they lose their leaves.

They will reshoot quite quickly in Spring to give you a fabulous display.