Lagerstroemia seeds «Indian lilac»

Lagerstroemia «Indian crape myrtle» or «Indian lilac» / Lagerstroemia indica - a deciduous shrub with smooth, silver-gray, mottled trunks, reaching 5–8 m in height and up to 8 m in width. The leaves are oval to elliptical, 2–7 cm long. The flowers are 2.5 cm in diameter, with wavy edges, and are white, pink, crimson, lilac, or red (there are no blue, orange, or yellow forms). They are collected in panicles up to 20 cm long and bloom throughout the summer.

Lagerstroemia is propagated by seeds (sown in autumn or spring at +10 to +13 °C in greenhouses, where the seedlings are also transplanted), cuttings (semi-hardwood cuttings, 5–8 cm long, with a heel, planted in July–August in a cold frame; hardwood cuttings, 4 cm long, are taken in winter), and grafting. It is planted in its permanent garden location in spring or early summer. Seedlings flower in the first or second year. The plants grow quite quickly. Lagerstroemia does not tolerate transplanting well, so it is important to preserve the root ball when transplanting.

It is thermophilic and can withstand temperatures down to -10 °C, but only if its shoots have properly matured and become woody in the sun. During hot, dry summers, it requires regular watering. It is not demanding of soil, but grows best in moderately fertile, well-drained soils; it does not tolerate saline soils.

Old bushes can be rejuvenated if necessary. They tolerate heavy pruning in spring, which stimulates the growth of new shoots. Removing faded flower clusters induces a second and third wave of flowering. In the south, Lagerstroemia is excellent for solitary, group, and avenue plantings. Its standard-trained varieties look particularly spectacular. In other regions, it is an excellent container plant for decorating outdoor terraces during the summer (in winter, the containers should be moved to a frost-free room). However, for lush and prolonged flowering, container-grown Lagerstroemia requires regular feeding with a balanced fertilizer every 6–8 weeks.