I grew up in south central Pennsylvania and there weren't many (if any!) crepe myrtle trees around. It seemed that I only ever saw them in summers when our family would go on vacation to the beaches in the Carolinas. As such, I only noticed crepe myrtles in bloom and covered with a gazillion leaves .... I never even noticed their bark.
Crepe myrtles trees are truly beautiful in every season.
Crepe Myrtle's are a garden staple here in Virginia and we are very lucky to have many, many really large crepe myrtles in our gardens (thank you to whoever planted them so many years ago!). Most of our crepe myrtles are 20-30 feet tall and have absolutely humungous trunks (we've had lots of people comment that they've never seen crepe myrtles the size of ours)! And, although we do have some red and purple crepes, the majority of our crepe myrtle trees are the Natchez variety and have white flowers.
Look at that Beautiful Bark
Crepe myrtles are known for having incredibly beautiful bark -- but the Natchez variety has some of the most beautiful bark I've ever seen. It really is spectacular and here's why...
Once a crepe myrtle matures, it begins to shed it's bark each year. People unfamiliar with crepe myrtles might think there is something wrong with the tree when they see it 'exfoliating' it's bark, but it's just what crepe myrtles do. And it's amazing....
After a crepe myrtle tree sheds it's bark, it's underlying beauty is revealed in artistic swirls of red, cinnamon, beige and white. It's almost as though an artist came by and, using the trunk as their canvas, lovingly painted the trunks with calculated and precise brush strokes.
The bark of each tree is truly an artistic masterpiece
Here are a few photos of the bark of one of our Natchez crepe myrtle trees from a few days ago... isn't it incredible?
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November 20, 2013
Bark photos! Be still my beating heart! I have taken many a bark shot, but you are completely right in that there is incredible beauty in even the bark of the crepe myrtle. Oh, how I miss the one I planted in Alexandria! The curls! The curls! The curls! And the blooms of course. And the fall foliage!
I went to at least a dozen places asking if they carried crepe myrtle trees here in Indiana until someone finally told me that the trees do not grow in this zone. I literally wept the entire way home.
Thanks for sharing!!
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November 20, 2013
It really is very beautiful! The red and purple crepe myrtle's bark isn't anywhere near as beautiful as the white Natchez variety.
...never knew you were a bark lover! LOL