Lagerstroemia speciosa is a a big tree which profusely flowers in summer. This is a native in Southeast Asia specifically India and the Philippines. In Pilipino, this tree is called "banaba". The first 3 photos however, is already a cultivated one, and the trunk is already shorter and flowers are more abundant than the native variety. For the Eastern countries like the Philippines, these are used for medicinal purposes, as the leaves are made into tea or in capsulized forms for lowering blood sugars or for kidney problems.
In the West these are called Crape Myrtles, and fully domesticated, hybridized to several colors and varieties. These are seen profusely flowering along their streets, parks and landscapes.
I shared this post in Today's Flowers .
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This must be a spectacular sight,to see these tress covered in blossoms.Beautiful pictures.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,Ruth
How I wish I could grow crepe myrtles here in Wisconsin... they are fantastic and your photos are lovely! Larry
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers. I especially like the first picture. The flower looks so delicate.
ReplyDeleteI love your banaba trees. When I saw the hot pink flowers, I thought Crape Myrtle. They're are very popular here--drought tolerant, deer resistant, like alkaline soil and get along with our blistering summers.
ReplyDeleteThe blue flowers in my Hill Country Mysteries post today were bluebonnets, Lupinus texensis. After our fall and winter rains, bluebonnets this spring were the best in decades.
Both of those trees look spectacular in bloom but my preference would be for the first one as its a favourite colour of mine.
ReplyDeleteHello Andrea, how are you? Thanks for posting these lovely plants. I must confess that I like Lagerstromeia indica more. We have lots of them by the roads as well. Their flowers are really showy. Yes, flowering non-stop too. They are really pretty isn't it? Also, I think this shrub is really hardy - they can be grown beautifully here as well as in the temperate countries. What a wonderful plant :-D
ReplyDeleteI just love the Lagerstroemia speciosa ... I have two in my own garden and they are such fantastic summer bloomers.
ReplyDeleteThe indicas are stunning as well ... used to have one in my last garden. I think the Crepe Myrtles are an essential in a tropical garden ... your photos really show just how beautiful they are!
Wow, Andrea, these crapes are beautiful! Love that first photo especially!
ReplyDeleteWow, TONS of flowers! Maybe "blooms gone banabas!". No, that's too cheesy.
ReplyDeleteI have a Lagerstroemia speciosa right in front of my house. I really like the purple flowers. How do you differentiate it from indica. Is it by the colour of the flowers?
ReplyDeleteThank you everyone for your comments and questions. I am powered by your connections!
ReplyDeleteRuth - yes it is a spectacular sight especially if it is the only one among the green surroundings.
LC- it's good blogging happened in this lifetime, at least we can share with others the beauty in their environment even if they are alien to us. The same is true with us in the tropics appreciating the beauty in your temperate world.
Linda - yes Linda the flowers look so delicate, but i still cannot get a photo like yours even if i use the same camera model as you! hehe
Kathleen - thanks for your appreciation. I just saw lupines, the taller one, in Sweden and i love them a lot.
Aaron and Rosie - yes i prefer also the first one, though my details are not yet shown, it is only taken handheld.
Steph, Bernie, Floridagirl - yes, these species are hardy and very rewarding to gardeners and landscapists. Although ours, L. indica doesn't perform well because of some shades. The first one was taken from the school grounds near us.
ReplyDeleteWendy - love that, "blooms gone banabas"! hahaha.
Autumn Belle - they are different not by colors because many hybrids of the two produced lots of colors. Their morphology differs that merits one to be placed in a different species.
Hi Andrea, I can only imagine what it is like to see the lovely trees in full bloom. The colours are just so beautiful.....your world must be full of colour.
ReplyDeleteVery cool. I never knew these grew in the tropics until seeing a couple on Hawaii. We can't quite grow them here because of the winter so they are always a special treat to see.
ReplyDeleteI really like the first photo, very neat, the flower were all beautiful, love the color too.
ReplyDeleteCheryl - yes it is so colorful here and when the butterflies come, the scene is majestic. thanks for your visit.
ReplyDeleteDigital Flower Pictures - i normally post those thriving only in the tropics, so those of you in temperate regions of the world are informed of the beauties we have here! Thanks for your visit.
Siromade - please drop by again, thank you.