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Lagerstroemia indica or Pride of India belongs to Lythraceae family and is one of the most strikingly beautiful shrubs, which grows into a medium- sized tree if not pruned. The plant originally belongs to Asia but is extensively cultivated in gardens all over the world with temperatures ranging from 5º C to 45º C. Also known as Crepe Myrtle due to its crepe-like texture, it can be easily grown from seed in a moist but well drained soil where it receives full sun. Transplanted when a year old, the shrub can flower in another year’s time and oblige the gardeners with profuse bunches of flowers for about four months a year. Crepe Myrtle provides flowers in large clusters of white, pink and mauve in mid to late summer. However, too much of humidity may cause mildew. In northern parts of India, it blooms from June to September and is commonly called sawani, meaning the rainy season flower. It is also known by the common name of Cheeni-mehndi. The handsome tree may grow up to five, or a bit more, meters in height but smaller varieties are also available. Its size can also be controlled by severely cutting back the growth in early spring. In the Carmel Convent garden at Chandigarh, the drastically cut-back Lagerstroemias threw up a vigorous growth of lovely branches laden with abundance of large clusters of white to pink, red or purple crinkly flowers on the tip year after year. This summer-flowering shrub flowers at the tips of the current year’s growth. It should be pruned in late winter or early spring when it has shed its leaves and is dormant. Those plants which are to be grown as specimen plants can be trained to single stem decorative round-headed trees. Cut away all but one strong stem of a young plant and stake it. All new shoots should be removed from sides of the trunk until it is about two metres tall. During the growing season, pinching back of top growth will help making the head of the tree dense. Every year the head of the tree should be cut back lightly after flowering. For the Lagerstroemia trained as bushes, drastic pruning when dormant thinning out some of the new stems annually will help make the base of the plant less crowded. Lagerstroemia bushes are sometimes cut back to almost a foot or so over ground. They flower profusely in this manner. Since Lagerstroemia indica can take drastic pruning and offers lovely frilly flowers for more than four months, it is a suitable plant for terrace-gardens. Grown in a decent sized tub, small annuals like daisies and pansies can be grown around the dormant plant. One would marvel how the Lagerstroemias growing in the main branch of State Bank of India, Srinagar, would be lifeless and looked dead in the sub-zero temperatures of freezing winter only to throw up a vigorous new growth in spring to flaunt its showy flowers in summers.
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