It's Crepe Myrtle Time

One of the first plants that really caught my attention here in the South is the crepe myrtle. I had never seen them before and when they are in full bloom they truly steal the show. I have 2 varieties in my garden - the medium pink 'Hopi' and the light purple 'Muskogee'. The pink ones are really bright.

I am thrilled to see that one of my muskogees has reached the age of maturity where I can finally see the smooth colored bark. In the photo you can see that it has started to shed its outer layer in rolled up sheets to reveal the beautiful bark beneath. Over the years I have been disappointed with my crepe myrtles because their bark was all mottled and scaby looking. It was never that smooth creamy color that I saw in all the gardening books. The crepe myrtle is regarded as a 4 season plant down here, in the spring the new green growth pops out and you have a nice multi-trunked tree, in the summer the blooms knock you out, in the fall the leaves turn color and the bark and sculptured branches provide winter interest.