Crepe or Crape?

I love this time of year if for no other reason than it is Crape Myrtle season! The Crape Myrtle bushes in my brother's yard are in full bloom while the ones in my yard are a bit slow this year. The bushes have very few buds and seem to be far behind the other bushes around here. I believe this is due to the fact that mine are in partial shade. His, on the other hand, are in full sun and are blooming their hearts out! When I look over at his yard, I feel a tinge of wistfulness just looking at the bright pink blooms. I want blooms! I look at my bushes..there is only one that is blooming. The others are almost devoid of blooms and the buds are far and few between. Granted my bushes are small. Son and I planted most of them this past winter and I suppose they are still getting established. Perhaps next year, we will have the brag-worthy blooms that I see in other yards.

I love the crinkle look of the flower petals which come in a broad range of white, pink, red and purple. These appear in clusters or panicles of about six to eight inches in length by three to five inches in width. The petals' crinkly look resemble Crepe Paper hence giving the bush its name. This naming is remotely strange as the paper is "crepe" but the proper name of the bush is "crape". (Either these can be interchangeable or someone was a horrible speller!) I have seen it written both ways so I suppose either is acceptable. Either way, these flowers are long-lasting as they will remain gorgeous for weeks on end! The leaves are equally as pretty. In the spring, the upper portion of the tree is covered with glossy medium green leaves but in the fall, they turn to a rainbow of reds, oranges, browns and yellow! These drop during the winter to show the beautiful trunk of the tree. The bark exfoliates revealing the various shades of browns and grays of the wood. This habit of the tree makes it worth the effort to trim the tree in a pleasing form so to make its shape a focal point in the winter garden. The Crape Myrtle is a garden addition for all seasons! Spring opens with the glossy leaves..Summer brings the bright flowers..Fall has its ever-changing leaf color..and Winter sees the incredible bare trunks.

The Crape Myrtle was originally from Asia as are a lot of the plants that are now considered to be indigenous to Southern United States. It actually was introduced here in the late 1700s and quickly became naturalized all along the southern states. Not being particularly cold-hardy, the original bushes could not grow in the northern states until cultivars were introduced. These newer varieties have made the Crape Myrtle popular in most states. I will be so glad when my bushes are larger and able to carry more blooms!