Design

Crape myrtles ( Lagerstroemia indica ) are everywhere in the Southern U.S.; they're used (overly so) as street trees, in home landscapes, in commercial landscapes, etc. Brought to the Carolinas by botanical explorer Andre Michaux, they're attractive in flower, have lovely bark and architectural shape, and are TOUGH. But, I've never thought too much about them, because I haven't see many insects or birds using the flowers or eating the fruits or seeds. They weren't high on my 'plants that work for a living' list. But checking plants near the potting bench this morning, I kept hearing a couple of hummingbirds twittering and whirring high up in the crape myrtle nearby. Were they eating small insects attracted to the flowers? Were they annoyed with me because I was near one of 'their' feeders? What's going on with crape myrtle flowers anyway? First I checked for nectar (none), then looked at some open flowers, and noticed a couple of honeybees c...