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| CAMPUS CREPE MYRTLE HAS UNUSUAL COPPERY BARK COLOR | |
| Published: June 28, 1997 | |
Shedding bark a lovely feature of Japanese crepe myrtlesQ:There is a crepe myrtle tree on the USL campus that is different from the others. The white blooms appear to be over now, but the bark is peeling and the coppery color of the trunks is even more striking than the flowers were. I would like to know what kind it is. It is located by Martin Dining Hall near the corner of East Lewis and Girard Park Drive.A:According to USLs Dr. W.E. Fletcher, that lovely tree is a Japanese crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia fauriei). Our common crepe myrtles are Chinese or Indian (L. Indica). The Japanese species is the parent of the many new hybrids that areresistant to mildew, such as Bashams Party Pink and Natchez.The bark of Japanese crepe myrtles, particularly the new hybrids, is exfoliating, revealing colorful underbark in shades of copper and cinnamon. The trees have a tall, vertical form with large leaves. The flowers are somewhat smaller than the common variety. To see the tree on the USL campus, turn onto East Lewis Street from Johnston Street, and proceed nearly to the end of the street. You can drive right up to the tree from the parking lot of Caffery-Martin dorms. Is there a Southern or Tropical Lilac?Q:Having moved here from Iowa, I miss the lilacs. There is a tree that is blooming now in Lafayette that reminds me of lilac. However, Ive only seen white flowers. Is this tree the Southern or Tropical Lilac?A:No. Our tree that most resembles lilac is the Tree Ligustrum (Ligustrum lucidum). It resembles lilac in leaf size, shape, color, and arrangement but not in the white color of the blooms. Both are members of the Olive family.Some other trees that may console displaced lilac lovers are china-berry or china ball tree, also called Persian Lilac; and chaste tree or vitex, sometimes called Summer or False Lilac. Although their flowers may remind you of the lilac, their foliage is quite different. Not Yesterday, not Today, not TomorrowQ:Last fall I bought a healthy looking Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow plant. When spring came, it lost all its leaves. It didnt bloom at all. Help!A:It isnt unusual for Brunfelsia australis to lose its leaves during cold weather. Its possible that it was damaged during a late winter freeze, resulting in loss of spring bloom. You can help it to recover by removing any damaged wood, and by repotting in a container with a rich, acid soil mix containing amendments such as peat moss, worm castings, manure and/or compost. Use a root stimulator when transplanting, and give the plant three feedings a year of slow-release fertilizer. Place it where it will receive morning sun and some protection from hot afternoon sun. It is sensitive to cold, so provide protection from north winds and cold temperatures.Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow is a spring-flowering, nearly evergreen, medium-size shrub. The flowers last for three days, fading from deep violet to lavender to white. |