McKINNEY — Crape myrtle experts from around the country shared their knowledge recently with growers, landscapers and the general public at the 2005 Crape Myrtle Conference.
Dr. Raul Cabrera, associate professor of ornamental horticulture Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Dallas, gives an on-site consultation to Susan Owens, left, executive director of the Crape Myrtles Trail of McKinney, and Diane Sharp, Collin County Master Gardener. (Texas Cooperative Extension Photo)
The conference was sponsored by the Crape Myrtle Society of America, the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney and Texas Cooperative Extension. Organizers are calling the event “a first” for its gathering of experts and the comprehensive information presented.
“I really feel like this conference helped dispel some of the incorrect practices as far as managing the plants in landscaping and also helped get the word out about the many different varieties,” said Dr. Raul Cabrera, associate professor of ornamental horticulture at the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Dallas. “There really is a crape myrtle for everybody.”
Cabrera told the sold-out crowd about collecting 45 varieties of miniatures and dwarfs, none of which are taller than 10 feet. He and his colleagues are studying their water usage, salinity tolerance, and disease and insect tolerance.
Next year Cabrera plans to add the medium-sized varieties from 10 to 20 feet to the research effort. After that, he will round out this collection with the large varieties, of 30 feet or more.
Because this is a research project, a minimum of four plants of each cultivar are included, he said. With a goal of 120 to 140 varieties, that means 600 to 700 crape myrtles will eventually be planted at the Dallas Center.
Cabrera is also one of three horticulturists at the center who participates as liaison members on The Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney horticulture subcommittee.
The Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney are blooming in seasonal color. Blooms can be seen throughout the summer, along more than 10 miles of city streets. (Texas Cooperative Extension Photo)
“The crape myrtle collection at the Dallas Center serves as an important research and education base for the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney,” he said. “Many of the hybrid crape myrtle developments since the mid-1970s were evaluated at the Dallas Center before being released to the public.”
Cabrera also shares his expertise through a Web site that features sections on crape myrtle propagation, culture, management, history, terminology and geography. But the main feature is a searchable database, he said.
“It contains basic information on crape myrtle cultivars, complete but brief information on about 100 crape myrtles throughout the United States, with pictures and a listing of about 300 varieties total,” Cabrera said. “You can input your information much like when you’re searching for a car online, by name, by size, by color and it will pop up varieties that match your specifications.”
To view the Web site, go to http://dallas.tamu.edu and click on “crape myrtle”.
Proceeds from the conference benefited the Crape Myrtle Trails. The city of McKinney has planted more than 2,000 crape myrtles in 15 to 18 varieties — along more than 10 miles of streets throughout the city. Officials hope to eventually have crape myrtles planted on all of the city’s medians, totaling more than 100 miles.
Steve Brainerd, McKinney parks and development superintendent, oversees the city’s plantings.
“I think the crape myrtle concept has found favor and we’re going to go forward with this,” he said. “I don’t know how long it will take to complete the trails. But I think it’s been very well received and the plant material is excellent for what we’re asking it to do.
“They like hot weather and you can take away the water supply for this plant and it will survive, if you have water rationing, for example,” he added. “I totally am in support of the concept here and I think the council is as well.”
But the trail is only part of the dream. Susan Owens, executive director of the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney Foundation, said the city and foundation’s relationship with the experts at Texas A&M Dallas has helped them toward their ultimate goal.
“Right now we’re only planting medians, but we’re in the process of negotiating with the city of McKinney to house the world collection of crape myrtles,” she said. “We would really like to have it happen by the fall of 2006. We’re still working out the details. Nowhere in the world are all crape myrtle varieties planted in one place for public display. McKinney is going to have them all.”
The plan is to eventually have an eight-acre, world-class crape myrtle arboretum, she said.
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