The previous home owner has planted these in my backyard in Austin, Texas. They are blooming currently. What are these beautiful flowers?
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There are quite a few crepe myrtles in Texas. It is a very good climate for them (most is, anyway). – J. Musser Aug 14 '14 at 21:53
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In my area, the tallest ones are about 25' tall, upright shrubs, but more often 8-12 feet. Last winter, most of them died back severely in my area, becouse of the tough winter. – J. Musser Aug 14 '14 at 22:18
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That is a crepe myrtle, Lagerstroemia sp. Possibly L. fauriei.
This is a genus of flowering shubs and trees in the loosestrife family. Most of them are hardy in zones 8 and up, but L. fauriei is hardy to zone 6b.
See comparison pics:
J. Musser
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Lucky you, I worked very hard to raise a couple of these beauties in zone 5. Never bloomed. I like them as small patio trees...large bonsai...think of standing in a mini-grove of these. – stormy Aug 15 '14 at 01:19
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@stormy Yeah, they're pretty nice. Around here, they're usually used as specimens or in a mixed screen. – J. Musser Aug 15 '14 at 01:21
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Sigh...I have to settle for Quaking Aspen, Serviceberry or Elderberry groves here. It is getting down to 45 degrees F around here. 100 during the day. The form and leaves of crepe myrtle made me love it. The flowers would have taken me over the edge. How big does it get? – stormy Aug 16 '14 at 17:53
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Reread and found the answer. What zone do you live in, J? Are you having abnormal weather? – stormy Aug 16 '14 at 17:55
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@stormy In my area, the tallest ones are about 25' tall, upright shrubs, but more often 8-12 feet. I am still in zone 6b, and last winter was crazy and severe, with ice storms like every week. – J. Musser Aug 17 '14 at 04:16
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If you have a few small ones to protect, try the Christmas lights and then wrap the tree in burlap. You can get burlap, huge rolls of it for cheap. – stormy Aug 17 '14 at 21:10