Lagerstroemia speciosa ( Queen’s Crepe Myrtle ) is a flowering tree that is native to tropical regions of southern Asia. Queens Crepe Myrtle or Pride of India is deciduous and produces purple blooms all summer. Easy to grow, a beautiful feature tree and suitable for growing in containers. Popular ornamental around the world and is used as a herbal tea in the Philippines.
Suitable for Temperate, Sub-Tropical and Tropical Climates.
It is also commonly known as Giant Crepe Myrtle, Banaba Plant or the Pride of India.
Growth
Lagerstroemia speciosa is a deciduous tropical tree that reaches heights of up to 20 metres (66 feet) in their native habitat. In cultivation, the more common height is around 8 metres (25 feet). Queens Crepe Myrtle is widely grown in plantations for its good quality wood. In nurseries, it is a popular ornamental, renowned for their long-season flowering during summer. It is one of only a few deciduous species native to tropical regions.
Although a tropical tree, there are many specimens across the suburbs of temperate Melbourne. They are also very prominent on the drive to Bright, Victoria which is effectively alpine in temperature during winter.
Leaves are oval to elliptic and reach up to 15 cm (6 inches) and have an acute apex. Flowers contain six petals which vary from pink to purple in colour. In the right climates, flowering occurs for up to four months from late spring into the early autumn.
One common problem many gardeners have when starting the Pride of India from seed is soil depth. A recent study found that germination rates of up to 95% were achieved when seeds were surface sown or lightly covered. This suggests the seeds are positively photoblastic.
FAMILY:
Lythraceae
CLIMATE:
Cold to Warm Temperate.
TEMPERATURE RANGE:
4°C to 34°C / 39 to 93°F
SOIL TYPE:
Loamy soils with good drainage.
LOCATION:
Full Sun. Sheltered from Strong Winds.
HEIGHT:
Up to 20 metres (66 feet)
WIDTH:
Up to 11 metres (35 feet)
pH:
5.5-7.5
GROWTH TYPE:
Deciduous or Semi-Evergreen.
WATER REQUIREMENTS:
Medium.
POLLINATION:
Pollinated by Bees
MATURITY:
3-6 years.
GERMINATION RATES:
55-75%
GERMINATION TIME:
2-4 weeks
SEEDS PER GRAM:
Approximately 80
MEDICINAL QUALITIES:
No.
WEED POTENTIAL:
No.
EDIBLE:
No.
SEED STORAGE & VIABILITY:
Dry Storage at 15°C (Cupboard) up to 2 years.
FACTS ABOUT LAGERSTROEMIA SPECIOSA (Queen’s Crepe Myrtle)
A herbal tea is made from the leaves of the tree in the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan.
