Lagerstroemia indica Terrace Rose - Crape Myrtle

The Lagerstroemia indica 'Terrace Rose’ is a new French selection. This small Indian lilac has a compact and dense habit and provides an abundant and early summer flowering of a beautiful strong pink, punctuated with yellow stamens. Also selected for its good hardiness, this small deciduous bush with the appearance of a ball of flowers will work wonders in a large pot on the terrace, but also in a rockery or in the centre of a low perennial bed. It should be placed in a warm, sheltered location with full sun exposure, in neutral to acidic soil.

The Lagerstroemia indica 'Terrace Rose' belongs to the Lythraceae family. The Lagerstroemia indica, from which it originates, is native to China. ‘Terrace Rose’ is part of the new 'Terrace' range, a line of more resistant, hardy and early Indian Lilacs with compact vegetation, suitable for small gardens and pot culture. This bush has a squat and ramified habit. It will reach approximately 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) in height and 1 m (3 ft 4 in) in spread in 10 years. Its growth is slow. It begins its flowering in June, which will continue until October. The flowers are characterised by fine pedicels each carrying five undulate-edged petals. The flowers, whose texture resembles crepe, are gathered in dense panicles, at the ends of the year's branches. In 'Terrace Rose', the flowers are strong pink, with a heart of golden yellow stamens. The foliage, tough and deciduous, is shiny green. The plant consists of small ovate leaves, which sometimes take on lovely yellow or red hues in autumn, depending on the climate. Finally, its bark is very beautiful, smooth, beige and striate with brown-red, peeling off in coloured flakes (cinnamon, faded red, old pink, cream).

Indian Lilacs traditionally make the glory of South-West gardens. Varieties like 'Terrace Rose' bring these fantastic little trees within the reach of all gardens and all sunny terraces. Of modest size, bushy and floriferous, this plant is better adapted to colder climates, providing the location is carefully chosen. In the garden, it is in a rockery, or placed in the centre of a low bed, near the house, that you can fully enjoy its generosity. It will look good in front of a bush bed, a flowering hedge. Compose a bed like a bouquet, with Campanula pyramidalis, Salvia sclarea, Aster laevis. In autumn, it accompanies the equally as colourful Aster. In a pot on the terrace, it puts on a show as the summer flowerings slow down.

NB: Karl Von Linnaeus named this tree in 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.