|
Characteristics
 Family-
Lythraceae--The Loosestrife Family
- Origin
-
China; persisting and occasionally naturalizing locally in southeastern USA.
- Plant Description
-
Small tree or large shrub to 25 feet; leaves alternate or opposite, simple, somewhat variable in shape; flowers in July-September, pink, lilac, lavender and red, very showy; fruit maturing in fall, a round woody capsule splitting and liberating tiny winged seeds; bark smooth, brown, peeling.
- Ornamental Characteristics
-
Beautiful in flower, interesting form and bark in winter.
- Landscape Use
-
Specimen small tree, street tree.
- Horticultural Cultivars
-
Many cultivars exist. Powery mildew is a problem on the coast, so choose mildew resistant cultivars from hybrids with L. faurei, such as 'Natchez',' Muskogee', 'Near East', many others.
- Availability/Propagation
-
Widely available; propagated commercially by softwood cuttings taken in early summer.
- Culture
-
Plant infull sun in moist, well drained soil, very drought tolerant after established. Only moderately salt tolerant, will not survive full frontal dunes exposure.
- Coastal Ecology
-
Long planted in coastal landscapes as an ornamental tree, sprouts from roots and occasionally spreads locally by seed, naturalization more common south of North Carolina.
|
|
