Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) - 50 Seeds

Features:

Description: The Crape Myrtle is a stunning addition to any garden, celebrated for its vibrant, colorful blooms and low maintenance needs. This multi-stemmed deciduous tree, native to Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan, dazzles landscapes with clusters of white, pink, red, or lavender flowers from mid-June, providing enchanting displays for up to 120 days.

In addition to its spectacular flowers, the Crape Myrtle's exfoliating bark creates beautiful patterns, and its vibrant autumn foliage adds year-round interest to gardens. This frost-tolerant tree thrives in full sun and well-drained soils, reaching heights of up to 20 feet with an equal spread, making it a perfect choice for providing shade and habitat for songbirds.

Widely recognized for its beauty and resilience, the Crape Myrtle has earned accolades in gardening communities worldwide, including the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Additionally, a decoction of its flowers has been used for medicinal properties, enhancing the tree's utility beyond aesthetics.

Growing Instructions:

  1. Preparation: Soak seeds in water for 24 hours. Discard any floating seeds, as they are not viable.
  2. Cold Stratification: Cold stratify the remaining seeds for 30 days.
  3. Planting: Fill 4” or 6” pots with seed starting mix and saturate the soil. Insert 2 seeds per pot at a depth of 1/16” and mist with water.
  4. Germination: Cover pots with a ziplock bag and mist only when the soil dries. Keep pots in a warm, sunny indoor spot; a heat mat can be used to encourage germination, which takes 3-4 weeks.
  5. Care: Once seedlings reach 2 inches tall, remove the plastic bag and mist them regularly.
  6. Transplanting: Move plants outdoors to a partially sunny location, sheltered from the afternoon sun, when they are about a foot tall. Keep the soil evenly moist until early fall, when they are ready for transplanting to a permanent location.