Lagerstroemia indica Black Solitaire Pure White - Crape Myrtle

Lagerstroemia indica Black Solitaire (renamed Black Diamond) 'Pure White' is the purest white flowering example of the stunning series of Indian Myrtles BLACK DIAMOND. In summer, its snowy flower clusters dot almost black foliage, in a striking contrast in colours. Like all Black Solitaire varieties, this Lagerstroemia is resistant to powdery mildew, tolerates frost and moderate drought well. Summer Myrtles are also appreciated for their richly coloured bark, ornamental all year round. This one, with moderate growth, is suitable for small gardens and pots. 

Lagerstroemia indica Black Solitaire 'Pure White' is part of a series of hybrids carefully selected in Texas from the 'EBONY' varieties, characterised by very dark foliage.  Not exceeding 3 m (9 ft 10 in) in height, these Indian lilacs also stand out for their fairly rapid growth and their ease of cultivation in any well drained soil. 

'Pure White' belongs to the Lythraceae family, just like the Lagerstroemia indica, from which it originates and which is native to China.  This shrub has a bushy and branched habit from the base, with a slightly erect crown. It will reach on average 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in), rarely 3 m (9 ft 10 in),  in height at maturity, with a diameter of 2 m. Its growth is quite rapid. Depending on the climate, it chooses the end of July to start flowering, which will continue until September. The inflorescences are groups of thin pedicels each bearing five petals with a very undulate edge, the texture of which look like that of crepe. They are gathered in dense panicles, at the end of this year's branches.

In 'Pure White', the pedicels and floral buds are a dark purple-brown, then they bloom widely into absolutely pure white flowers. The centre of the flowers is highlighted by fine golden yellow stamens. The foliage, leathery and deciduous, keeps its very dark burgundy-chocolate-purple colour from spring to summer, then tints with purplish hues in autumn, before falling. It is composed of small ovate and pointed leaves which are slightly undulate. Finally, and to complete its beauty, its beautiful bark is smooth, beige and striated with brown-red, and flakes to display cinnamon, faded red, old pink, cream marbling.

Indian myrtles are the glory of gardens. Preferring the humid and warm climate, it is a small tree that can also to be acclimatised in a colder area as it can also be quite hardy.  Enjoy it as a specimen shrub near the house. It will look good in a shrub bed, a flowering hedge, or emerging from a clump of perennials. Mix into a flowering bed with Campanula pyramidalis, Salvia sclarea or jamensis and Aster laevis. In autumn, it works well with Cotinus and deciduous spindle trees, with all their colour. It also creates a lovely display in a large pot on the patio, when other summer flowering plants are slowing down. Display this plant, Lagerstroemia indica Black Solitaire (Black Diamond) 'Pure White' with a wonderful planting tapestry of groundcover with thymes, oreganos and other silver creeping plants weaving like a tapestry around the base of its trunk, highlighting its bark and reflecting the beauty of its bark, its black foliage and its white flowers. 

NB: Karl Von Linne named this tree to honour his friend Magnus Von Lagestroem (1696 – 1759), who had sent it to him from India for identification. Originally, this tree was used to decorate Chinese temples. We would like to point out that this tree produces fruits that have are poisonous if ingested.