Lagerstroemia Varieties (Old and New)

The lagerstroemia indica or Lilac of the Indies or Summer Lilac is a plant from the Lythraceae family. Its name comes from the Swedish businessman Magnus Lagerstrom (1691-1759), said to have worked for the Indies Company.

• In France, the presence of Lagerstroemia was normally limited to the Southwest. Two families of nursery gardeners, the Desmartis in Bergerac and the Pouzergues in Cahors, became interested in this ornamental plant and worked on its development. More recently other gardeners have developed new creations.
  
  
• The Lagerstroemia is a small deciduous tree with magnificently colourful flowers that bloom in the heart of summer. It is a plant that provides a spectacle of colour!
  
  
• We can also refer to it using its other charming names, such as Lilac if the Indies, mousseline flower, Lagerose, crape myrtle or crepe myrtle.
  
  

Flowering and Lagerstroemia Indica Flowers

• The best part of the Lagerstroemia is of course its summer flowering, which is breathtaking!
   

  
• Imagine a giant bouquet covered with giant clusters of colourful flowers which keeps renewing itself over a several week period. With certain varieties, the flowers are so abundant that the greenery disappears!
  
  
• The most well-known colour is pink (in many shades), but you can also find red, mauve, purple and even white Lagerstroemias. Their colour deepens at the end of the day.
  
  
• At the heart of the flower you'll find a bouquet of golden yellow stamen which adds a point of soothing light.
  
  

Lagerstroemia Seasons

• But the beauty of this ornamental shrub is seen in the spring. The leaves are already a great dull or bright green, which adds a very decorative look.
  
  
• At the end of the summer, they will slowly change to fall colours, including yellow and red mixed with ochre and brown, which is even more vivid in cooler regions.
  
  
• In winter, the loving gardener can rediscover the great twisted silhouette and its smooth bark, gray-brown or cinnamon in colour and mixed with pink in mature trees; it renews itself in small plate-like sections like the plane tree, leaving behind silver/yellow spots that add a decorative aspect to it.
  
  

Lagerstroemia Indica Fruit

• The fruits are small black capsules, which hang on the tree for long periods and contain winged seeds. Make sure that children do not eat them, as they have a narcotic effect.