Lagerstroemia indica Braise dEté Indybra - Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia indica Braise d'Eté 'Indybra' is another variety of Indian Lilac from the INDIYA CHARMS® series, bringing together early flowering bushes that are capable of offering an abundance of flowers. This medium size variety is adorned with large dark green leaves that serve as a backdrop for clusters of striking red-pink foamy clusters, impressive in their intensity. The flowers appear from early July. Indian Lilacs are also appreciated for their smooth, richly coloured bark, which is ornamental all year round, as well as their beautiful autumn colours. These bushes like the heat but appreciate some coolness in summer to support their flowering. This variety will make a sensation when planted alone in a small garden or in a nice pot on a terrace.

Lagerstroemia indica Braise d'Eté 'Indybra' is part of a series of carefully selected hybrids chosen for their unique colours, early flowering, floribundity, compactness, and their lesser sensitivity to Powdery Mildew. This variety by SAPHO is still not widely available in commerce.

Braise d'Eté belongs to the Lythraceae family, just like Lagerstroemia indica from which it originates. The latter is native to China. This shrub has a bushy and ramified habit from the base, with a rounded, slightly spreading crown. Of medium size, it will reach approximately 3.5 m (11.5 ft) in height at maturity, with a diameter of 2.5 m (8.2 ft). Its growth is quite fast. Flowering starts in early July and continues until September. The large inflorescences, in ramified clusters, are composed of numerous small flowers carried by thin pedicels. Each flower has five petals with very undulate edges, with a texture reminiscent of crepe. They are gathered in large, dense panicles at the tips of the branches of the year.

In Braise d'Eté, the pedicels are pinkish. The flower buds are almost red and shiny, then they open widely into flowers of a very bright red-pink. The leathery and deciduous leaves emerge bronze, then become dark green and glossy. They are composed of large ovate leaves, which often take on pretty orange or coppery hues in autumn, depending on the climate. Finally, and to finish in beauty, its bark is truly beautiful: smooth, beige streaked with grey, reddish-brown, and peeling off in coloured patches (cinnamon, muted red, old rose, or cream).

Indian Lilacs traditionally thrive in warmer regions, but these small trees can be acclimatised in colder areas, especially its improved varieties, which are hardier. Enjoy its beauty when planted in isolation near the house. Braise d'Eté will also look good in a shrub bed or in a flowering hedge mixed with different varieties and colours, or emerging from a mound of perennials. Plant it alongside smoke trees and deciduous spindle trees for a wonderful display of autumnal colour. Consider planting in a large pot for a patio, where it will put on a magnificent show. We have imagined a simple plant tapestry as ground cover to highlight this lilac: a weaving of thymes (Thymus hirsutus, T. longicaulis, T. nitens), oreganos, and silver baskets will dress the base of its trunk, accentuate the beauty of its bark, and reflect its beautiful flowering.

NB: Karl Von Linné named this tree to pay tribute to his friend Magnus Von Lagestroem (1696 – 1759), who had sent it to him from India for identification. Originally, this tree was used to decorate Chinese temples. We would like to point out that this tree produces fruits that have a narcotic effect if ingested.