Visitors to our scenic city can enjoy blooming plants and trees throughout the year. Our warm, moist sub-tropical climate is ideal for many colorful and exotic species, many of which were brought here over the years from other parts of the world. One in bloodm now is the Lagerstroemia Indica, a bright-blooming Asian tree introduced to America by French botanist Andre Michaux, who moved to Charleston in 1796. Michael had traveled the world in search of picturesque plants and places where they would flourish. The tree became known as “Crepe Myrtle” because of its delicate Summer flowers that resemble crepe paper. But the tree is not a myrtle, which are part of the plant family Myricaceae, and is from a family of plants called Lythraceae, which includes the Pomegranate. The tree typically stays in bloom well into the Fall, making it one of the most attractive as an accent to Charleston’s gardens.
