It's Crape Myrtle time in Wake County, NC.  Behold!  The Crape Myrtles are in full bloom.

Crape Mrytle, lagerstroemia indica, is one of the most common, most loved and colorful shrubs or trees in the southern landscape.  Their ability to survive in urban landscapes, profusion of colorful blossoms over a long growing season, multitude of varieties and colors, and interesting growth habit and bark appearance combine to make them applicable in almost any setting.

Believe it or not, such flamboyant beauty can be overused, and we often take these beautiful trees for granted.  We can even overlook the displays of blossoms after a day of cruising around town, because they are everywhere!

I have a few Crape Myrtles at home.  My favorite is the Natchez Crape Myrtle.  Under the right conditions it will grow to 35 feet tall, and blooms in profuse white for up to 120 days.  Unfortunately, our hard freeze at Easter time, 2007 froze the buds off and I will not have any blooms this year.  Wait 'til next year, indeed!

See the Crape Myrtle Slide Show with dozens of photos!