Lovely lagerstroemia
Although sounding like an exotic East European alcoholic beverage, the crepe myrtle or Lagerstroemia
indica is an attractive deciduous shrub you may see more of in the near future. Grown for its spectacular terminal clusters of frilly or crinkled white, pink or purple summer blooms, its lustrous oval foliage is also often flushed red or bronze in spring and tinted in autumn, showing decorative peeling bark after falling. It comes from China and Korea and, until now, it has been a plant for the frost-free conservatory, or being grown against a south-facing wall in milder areas.
Members of the lythrum or loosestrife family, Lythraceae, lagerstroemia are widely grown in Mediterranean climates. They grow in most well-drained soils, as long as it isn’t waterlogged in winter. Recent breeding using species, such as Lagerstroemia
speciosa and L. fauriei, has focussed on making the plant more compact for city gardens and container planting, selecting for hardiness, disease resistance and improved flowering.
The RHS is running a trial on them at its Wisley garden until 2022. The 31 entries are largely drawn from Belgium, France and the Netherlands. They’re currently in full bloom in the hot weather. Plants are being grown in pots, as well as in the ground.
Three varieties currently available are ‘Berry Dazzle’, hardy to -15C (5F), producing fuchsia-purple blooms in July, August and beyond. Compact growing to 1.2m (4ft) to 75cm (2½ft) across. Smaller still, at 60cm (2ft) high, is whiteflowered ‘With Love Virgin’, which blooms from mid-July to late autumn. You can pre-order both from autumn from www. crocus.co.uk; tel: 01344 578111.
‘Pink Velour’ is taller at 1.5m (5ft), with rich pink flowers with yellow stamens in the centre of each blossom. From www. gardeningexpress.co.uk.