Crepe Myrtle can we ....

Hi all ,

Does anyone grow Crepe Myrtle in the UK .

 

Yep, I do.
Lagerstroemia indica, little chief, or some such name.

The plant survives quite well, but flowering is in the lap of the gods, or at least the weather.
Only really flowers well if we get an Indian summer.

Mine is in bud now, but I see the first flowers opened last year on the 14th Aug, that wont happen this year, despite an early start, and even last year the flowering was curtailed by poor weather in late summer.


In a good year its spectacular, but we dont get many good years.

Only picture I could find at short notice, Aug 2006

 

Pete

its look great , what soil etc sun shade does it like ? is this the best one for the UK I have seen white ones as well ? I think .
Spruce

 

I grew it from seed Spruce, as I said its the so called "little chief" series,(they come in a few different colours), I think its supposed to be dwarf and for pot growing, but it gets tall in the garden, that one was taken standing on my conservatory roof, looking downwards, so its about 12 ft high.
But it takes winter pruning well, so it need not be that big.

It needs as much heat and sun as it can get, I'd recommend growing on a sunny wall if possible.
I dont think it's fussy about soil, mine is neutral with some clay, some moisture is good when it gets very dry.

 

I've just noticed that pic was taken on the 7th Aug 2006.
Its nowhere near that stage this year.
It just shows how the summers have deteriorated since then.

 

its been a good year but nothing seems to last does it , it stop start all the time , I know from my bees I used to take the 1st crop of honey from the bees in late May , now I always leave on in case the summer goes down the pan , and its been like that past 6.

I have seen the seeds for sale I will have a nose about .

thanks

Spruce

 

This summer has gone the same way as last year, a good build up in July followed by something very iffy in August.
Most of my stuff is now looking pretty much drowned, when it should be really doing its thing, and looking good.

Once it starts raining it never knows when to stop.