Lagerstroemia indica

 

 

 

Plant Family: Belongs to the Lythraceae family, which includes the beautiful Queens Flower Tree (Lagerstroemia speciosa).

 

Natural Habitat: Grows well on coast, in full sunlight; likes moist, well-drained soil, but is drought tolerant; roots readily, and therefore is usually propagated by cutting, but can also be propagated by seed.

Description: Quick growing, strikingly colorful, profusely flowering shrub, up to 8 m (26 ft); stem smooth, light brown; leaves elliptical to obovate, about 7 cm long (2.7 in); flowers 4 cm (1.5 in), born in large, terminal, showy inflorescences, in cultivars of red, pink, white, and various shades of red and pink, pink being most popular; among the longest blooming trees in existence, flowering almost year round; fruit a brown, oval or round capsule, about 1 cm diameter (0.4 in), splitting and releasing seeds when mature.

 

Origin and Distribution: Native of China and SE Asia; currently widely cultivated throughout the tropical and subtropical world; will also thrive in warm-temperate regions, for example, some cultivars are grown as far north as Massachusetts in the US.