Lagerstroemia indica
Crape Myrtle is a triple aesthetic event: spectacular summer flowering, a unique multicolour exfoliating bark, and flamboyant autumn foliage — three seasons of interest on a single tree.
What makes it unique. Lagerstroemia indica is a deciduous shrub with a remarkable trunk and branches: the bark detaches each year in thin plates, revealing smooth tones alternating light grey, pink beige, cinnamon brown, and salmon pink depending on the zone and the age of the subject. This mosaic of colours on bare wood makes it one of the most ornamental bonsai outside of any flowering. In summer, clusters of flowers with finely fringed petals open abundantly in shades ranging from pure white to vivid pink, deep red, and mauve. In autumn, the foliage takes on orange to vivid red tones before leaf drop.
Origin and natural habitat. Originating from southern China and widely cultivated and naturalised in Korea and Japan, Lagerstroemia indica grows naturally in regions with hot, humid summers, on well-draining soils. It appreciates intense summer heat — a condition directly linked to the abundance of its flowering.
A bonsai demanding on two specific points. Crape Myrtle requires sufficient summer heat to flower generously, and constant vigilance against powdery mildew — its primary vulnerability. Beyond these two points, it is an accommodating species, fast-growing, that develops over the years into subjects of great nobility.
Crape Myrtle is a triple aesthetic event: spectacular summer flowering, a unique multicolour exfoliating bark, and flamboyant autumn foliage — three seasons of interest on a single tree.
What makes it unique. Lagerstroemia indica is a deciduous shrub with a remarkable trunk and branches: the bark detaches each year in thin plates, revealing smooth tones alternating light grey, pink beige, cinnamon brown, and salmon pink depending on the zone and the age of the subject. This mosaic of colours on bare wood makes it one of the most ornamental bonsai outside of any flowering. In summer, clusters of flowers with finely fringed petals open abundantly in shades ranging from pure white to vivid pink, deep red, and mauve. In autumn, the foliage takes on orange to vivid red tones before leaf drop.
Origin and natural habitat. Originating from southern China and widely cultivated and naturalised in Korea and Japan, Lagerstroemia indica grows naturally in regions with hot, humid summers, on well-draining soils. It appreciates intense summer heat — a condition directly linked to the abundance of its flowering.
A bonsai demanding on two specific points. Crape Myrtle requires sufficient summer heat to flower generously, and constant vigilance against powdery mildew — its primary vulnerability. Beyond these two points, it is an accommodating species, fast-growing, that develops over the years into subjects of great nobility.