Carol and I moved to Siloam Springs in November of 2008. As we drove through town in the summers, we noticed trees and bushes that reminded me of beautiful shrubbery that grew in Charleston, S.C., when I lived there in 1963-64. This tree/shrub/bush proliferates in the American Southwest.
I'm talking about Crepe Myrtles. What are they?
The name is often spelled crape because that's how it's pronounced. But the original spelling is crepe, so that's how I'll spell it today. But what does it mean?
Crepe comes from the French word crespe which means curled or frizzed. Think of crepe paper, crepe material for clothing, crepes that we eat at restaurants, and so forth. So, why do we call this tree or bush a crepe myrtle?
This may surprise you, but they are not true myrtles. They are called a myrtle because their leaves resemble that of a myrtle tree. But the crepe designation is due to the beautiful, delicate, crinkly flowers that resemble crepe paper.
There are about 50 kinds of crepe myrtles that are native to India, southeast Asia, Japan, northern Australia and some islands, and they can live for up to 50 years. But only a few are grown in the forms we see in gardens and yards today. While many folks keep them short as a bush or shrub, they are actually a tree, and multiple-trunked crepe myrtles can grow up to 35 feet tall. However, one article said, "While all species are woody in nature, some can range in height up to 100 feet." In 2015, I trimmed our 14 crepe myrtles down to 7 feet, but they are now back up to 17-20 feet tall.
The crepe myrtle wood is hard, and some species have been used in the manufacture of furniture and bridges. However, the larvae of butterflies and moths use other softer species as food sources.
Earlier I mentioned seeing these in Charleston. In 1790, the French botanist André Michaux imported the L. indica crepe myrtle into Charleston from China or Korea. It was a multi-stemmed shrub, but over the next 200 years, cultivation and cross-breeding has produced a multitude of bushes. Some of them can grow from seed to blooming in a single year.
For the most prolific floral display, crepe myrtles need to receive a lot of direct sunlight. The specific soil is not that critical, but it can't be soggy. I read in one report that the number of trunks should be limited to seven at the most, and a minimum of three, if you want a bush-type tree. The author of that report said that if birds can fly through the tree foliage, then sunlight is the most effective in producing the crepe flowers.
I didn't know that they are somewhat drought-resistant, so I wasted a lot of water on them from 2011-2013. Too much water was hard on them.
Apparently, the biggest problem in caring for these beauties is the improper practice of pruning them. In the industry, it's called crepe murder. Before you decide to cut them down to size, do the research and find the proper way of cutting them. Proper trimming is the key to having a beautifully-shaped bush or tree. The worst thing you can do to a crepe myrtle is to go at it with a chain-saw. Don't do that.
And make sure that you trim before the new growth begins. January through March is the ideal time to trim.
For two to four months in each of the 10 years we've lived in this house, these crepe myrtles have graced our yard with purple, pink, and red floral spears pointing to the sky. We are not ignorant of the political problems, the pandemic, and the plethora of other predicaments the world is facing, and there's nothing we can do about them, anyway. But God has given us beauty in our yard, peace in our relationships, and joy in our hearts that help us see past the problems.
It's the beauty of nature and of our relationships with others that can help us understand the joy of our relationship with Jesus Christ. And friends, the joy of our personal relationship with Almighty God through Jesus Christ is our anchor that gives us security.
As the floral spears point to the sky, my attention is focused on Jesus. And for that reason, I have no fears – no matter what the world presents.
-- S. EUGENE LINZEY IS THE AUTHOR OF 'CHARTER OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH.' SEND COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO [email protected]. VISIT HIS WEBSITE AT WWW.GENELINZEY.COM. THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR.