Lagerstroemia indica Eternal with Love - Crape Myrtle

The Lagerstroemia indica Eternal With Love is a stunning variety of Indian Lilac with a compact habit. During the summer and into early autumn, it produces spectacular clusters of bright purple flowers, at a time when few other bushes can compete with it. Part of a range of summer Lilacs selected for their hardiness, this bush can also be grown in pots in the coldest regions. It has all the qualities for adorning small gardens and terraces and will thrive in full sun, in fertile, light, not too dry soil.

The Indian Lilac 'Eternal With Love' belongs to the small family of Lythraceae, known for also hosting the pomegranate (Punica granatum), of which there are flower and fruit species, as well as the Cuphea, some species of which are used as flowering perennials on the Mediterranean coast. These are indeed moderately to slightly hardy plants, the Lagerstroemia being one of the hardiest, as it can withstand down to -10 °C to -15 °C. However, it needs heat to flower, which limits its interest in northern regions, even if its bark becomes decorative over time, as the branches or trunk thicken. Indeed, if in a cool area, it is most often present as a bush, in the south, one can come across specimens formed as trees.

This cultivar 'Eternal With Love', also known as 'Milavio', is a variety of Indian Lilac that has been selected over several years, in Italy and then in Central France, according to various criteria, notably resistance to diseases and cold, as well as early and long flowering. This stretches for more than 2 months between July and October, the bush then displaying superb clusters of bright purple flowers. The rather airy inflorescences are composed of fine pedicels each bearing a flower with five very undulate petals, the texture of which recalls that of a crepe. Depending on their stage of development, the flowers are more or less dark and bright, which further enhances the beauty of the flowering. The foliage, leathery and deciduous, composed of small ovate leaves, is quite dark and glossy. It falls in autumn.

Like its peers in the With Love range ('Girl with Love', 'Babe with Love', 'Kiss with Love', 'Virgin with Love'), this small Lagerstroemia makes for beautiful flowering pots. Its natural compactness and annual pruning allow its growth to be limited to keep it in a pot for many years. It will then need to be watered regularly in summer and given a potash fertiliser in spring to promote its bright flowering.

Indian Lilacs are the glory of gardens in the South-West of France, with some local nurseries specialising in this plant. Preferring the humid and warm South Atlantic to the dry and windy Mediterranean, it nevertheless thrives on the French Riviera provided it is watered a little in summer. This bush also deserves to be acclimatised in the colder regions of our region, carefully choosing the variety - and 'Eternal With Love' is a good candidate for this -  and its location. You can therefore plant it as a single specimen near the house to fully enjoy its long flowering, in the ground or in a decorative pot.

It will also be well highlighted in a mixed bed, mixed with spring-flowering plants to benefit from flowers throughout the season. Combine it with Forsythias whose golden yellow flowering will brighten up the days of March-April, as well as the Flowering Currant Ribes sanguineum King Edward VII whose bright pink clusters emerge at the same time. The classic and timeless Philadelphus coronarius will bridge the gap between these early bloomers and our little Lagerstroemia, with its beautiful pure white flowers with an unforgettable scent.

NB : Karl Von Linnaeus 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.