Home»Ornamentals»Trees»Crepe Myrtle
genus Lagerstroemia speciosa [ a - ger - STREEM - electrical engineering - a , spee - see - OH - suh ] is a perennial or deciduous tree ( crepe myrtle ) from the familyLythraceae .
While this is the common scientific name , the plant life is synonymously known asAdambea glabraLam . ,Munchausia speciosaL , Lagerstroemia flos - reginaeRetz , andLagerstroemia reginaeRoxb .
The plant is native to tropical part in Southeast Asia .
Hence , most of their common name come from area in southern Asia .
These admit :
It is bed for its crepe - corresponding flowers and also hold value in the Theravada Buddhist religion .
The plant is believed to have been used to achieve enlightenment by the 11th Lord Buddha .
In Sinhala and Mahaasona , it is known asMurutha .
Lagerstroemia Speciosa Care
Size & Growth
These hardy and beautiful Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree depend gallant when in full salad days .
Under right mature precondition , it can uprise up to 20 ’ – 60 ’ feet tall .
The bark is smooth yet flaky with branches growing deciduous leaves .
The leaves are oval or egg-shaped , about 3”-5 ” inch long and 1 ” – 2 ” inch wide .
Flowering and Fragrance
The inflorescences of the crepe - Vinca minor are its glory . The crisp , crepe - newspaper - like flower are favor among gardening enthusiast and tiller alike .
The plants start get blossom after 2 - 6 years of development . The bloom time is during former summer / former spring or in mid - summer .
The blossom grow on vertical panicle , each measure at about 8 ” – 15.5 ” inches long . Each blossom has six petals in bloodless , regal or pink colour .
Light & Temperature
It is dauntless to USDA Hardiness Zones 9 to 10 . Pride of India flower loves full sun exposure when planted in moist , fat stain .
The annual daytime temperature between 64 ° – 93 ° degrees Fahrenheit ( 18 ° – 34 ° C ) are worthy for the plant .
In some location , it can tolerate temperature down to 28 ° degrees Fahrenheit ( -2 ° light speed ) but it may have a negative wallop on the plant ’s growth .
Watering and Feeding
It has veritable urine needs – 1″ per calendar week . It tolerates a normal amount of weewee during the growing time of year .
Avoid overwatering as it may harm the roots and may even cause base rot .
Crepe myrtle trees apprize unconstipated fertilizingas the leave of absence becomeanemicor chlorotic .
Soil & Transplanting
These French pancake myrtles thrive in fairly fertile and well - run out soil .
Rich , deep , and alluvial loam - like soils with upright drainage and wet retentiveness are the optimal choice .
They are liberal of alkaline soils but prefer a 5.5 to 7.5 pH.
As for transplant , Modern shoot are moved easy when they are still establish root .
However , it ’s not recommend to move the plant around .
Grooming and Maintenance
Pruning is not necessary but is done to aid shape the foliation and aid its growth .
Deadhead spend flowers but it ’s not necessary to do so .
It is otherwise a very gentle to spring up and low care tree .
You may also be concerned inBark Licethat attack Lagerstroemia .
How To Propagate Pride Of India
If you want to propagate with source , sow them in shade . Germination takes around 15 to 56 day .
When the seedling are big enough , prickle them out and transfer them to containers .
They take a while to grow in the first year and speed up .
Also propagate the plant by carve up the etymon suckers or with semi - hardwood , hardwood , and hardwood hound cuttings .
Pride Of India Pest or Diseases
While the plants are usually not susceptible to major plague and disease job , it is affect by theRhizoctonia solani fungus .
This do leaf blight .
If your queen ’s crepe is show up signs of blight or other common trouble , chaffer your local nursery for advice .
Known Hazard
dissimilar parts of the plant , include the roots , halt , and leaves contain hydrocyanic acid .
A highly venomous chemical compound also known as prussic Zen .
Lagerstroemia Speciosa Uses
The Queen crape Vinca minor is an unbelievable shade tree diagram .
Other than this , the plant has been used in agroforestry for erosion control and re-afforestation on the degraded hills in Java .
It is also planted in large gardens as a shade tree or centrepiece with other fond shade loving plants underneath .
Uses of theLagerstroemia speciosaplants go beyond the garden .
It is used for draw out and isolating chemicals such as corosolic acid , lagerstroemin , flosin B , and reginin A.
It is also grown in Southeast Asia , specifically India and the Philippines , to make a special kind of tea .
In Vietnam , young leaves ofLagerstroemia speciosaare eaten as vegetables .
scientist like Unno and more have also found the leaves to have various effects .
These include the capability of decreasing descent sugar or rake glucose levels , antidiabetic natural process , and more .
In the Philippines , the industrial plant is used for its antidiabetes property to treat diabetes mellitus or type II .
A decoction of the bark , which contains tannins , is used to treat abdominal pain .
Research on the anti - obesity bodily function ofLagerdtroemia speciosaand the hypoglycaemic effects of extract from these medicative plants has also been transmit .
