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#1
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ID help: fragrant crape myrtles?
I traveled to Sacramento recently with my mother to vist my uncle
(81 this year, and still taking care of his house and garden). I was able to figure out that the white-, pink-, and rose-flowered shrubs growing all over town were oleanders. What's puzzling me are the shrubs/trees growing in huge planters in front of the Train Museum in Old Sacramento. These were limbed up quite high (to better to show off their attractive, mottled bark, I presume), had somewhat glossy, elliptic leaves, pink flowers clustered at the end of the branch, and seemed to be the only possible source of a distinct, pleasant, flowery scent (which was something like linden flowers or Cashmere Bouquet soap). Based on the bark, especially, I thought they might be crape myrtles. But fter Googling around, it seems that main opinion is that scented crape myrtles are somewhat mythological. No picks, sorry, and no detail description of the flowers and leaf set. (Yes, my bad, but it was very hot and sunny, and, as I said, these were set in huge planters and limbed up, so they were way over my head. And no pictures, as I didn't have a camera.) I must add, I am quite sensitive to odors, so it may have been a fairly subtle scent. (Paper-white narcissus and privet flowers are intense and unpleasant scents to me, and Bradford pears flowers are so intensely stinky that I can't imagine why anyone would plant them ANYWHERE.) -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) After enlightenment, the laundry. |
#2
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ID help: fragrant crape myrtles?
On 7/27/2008 5:03 AM, Pat Kiewicz wrote:
I traveled to Sacramento recently with my mother to vist my uncle (81 this year, and still taking care of his house and garden). I was able to figure out that the white-, pink-, and rose-flowered shrubs growing all over town were oleanders. What's puzzling me are the shrubs/trees growing in huge planters in front of the Train Museum in Old Sacramento. These were limbed up quite high (to better to show off their attractive, mottled bark, I presume), had somewhat glossy, elliptic leaves, pink flowers clustered at the end of the branch, and seemed to be the only possible source of a distinct, pleasant, flowery scent (which was something like linden flowers or Cashmere Bouquet soap). Based on the bark, especially, I thought they might be crape myrtles. But fter Googling around, it seems that main opinion is that scented crape myrtles are somewhat mythological. No picks, sorry, and no detail description of the flowers and leaf set. (Yes, my bad, but it was very hot and sunny, and, as I said, these were set in huge planters and limbed up, so they were way over my head. And no pictures, as I didn't have a camera.) I must add, I am quite sensitive to odors, so it may have been a fairly subtle scent. (Paper-white narcissus and privet flowers are intense and unpleasant scents to me, and Bradford pears flowers are so intensely stinky that I can't imagine why anyone would plant them ANYWHERE.) The crepe myrtles just outside the Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks have white flowers with a very subtle perfume. -- David E. Ross Climate: California Mediterranean Sunset Zone: 21 -- interior Santa Monica Mountains with some ocean influence (USDA 10a, very close to Sunset Zone 19) Gardening pages at http://www.rossde.com/garden/ |
#3
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ID help: fragrant crape myrtles?
On Jul 27, 5:03 am, Pat Kiewicz wrote:
I traveled to Sacramento recently with my mother to vist my uncle (81 this year, and still taking care of his house and garden). I was able to figure out that the white-, pink-, and rose-flowered shrubs growing all over town were oleanders. What's puzzling me are the shrubs/trees growing in huge planters in front of the Train Museum in Old Sacramento. These were limbed up quite high (to better to show off their attractive, mottled bark, I presume), had somewhat glossy, elliptic leaves, pink flowers clustered at the end of the branch, and seemed to be the only possible source of a distinct, pleasant, flowery scent (which was something like linden flowers or Cashmere Bouquet soap). Based on the bark, especially, I thought they might be crape myrtles. But fter Googling around, it seems that main opinion is that scented crape myrtles are somewhat mythological. No picks, sorry, and no detail description of the flowers and leaf set. (Yes, my bad, but it was very hot and sunny, and, as I said, these were set in huge planters and limbed up, so they were way over my head. And no pictures, as I didn't have a camera.) I must add, I am quite sensitive to odors, so it may have been a fairly subtle scent. (Paper-white narcissus and privet flowers are intense and unpleasant scents to me, and Bradford pears flowers are so intensely stinky that I can't imagine why anyone would plant them ANYWHERE.) -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) After enlightenment, the laundry. Pat If gas weren't so expensive I would just go down to the RR Museum and see; I haven't been there for a while. However, why not have your uncle give them a call and ask them........ Or if they don't know, have him contact the Sacramento Bee news garden editor and I'll bet she will be able to tell him/you. Let us know the answer too! Emilie NorCal |
#4
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ID help: fragrant crape myrtles?
David E. Ross said:
On 7/27/2008 5:03 AM, Pat Kiewicz wrote: Based on the bark, especially, I thought they might be crape myrtles. But fter Googling around, it seems that main opinion is that scented crape myrtles are somewhat mythological. The crepe myrtles just outside the Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks have white flowers with a very subtle perfume. Well, it is is possible, then, that I've got these properly ID'ed. As I said, I've got a pretty good nose for scents. There are genes involved in the ability to smell various odors, and I've been told that there are some odors that many people just can't smell. -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) After enlightenment, the laundry. |
#5
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ID help: fragrant crape myrtles?
mleblanca said:
On Jul 27, 5:03 am, Pat Kiewicz wrote: I traveled to Sacramento recently with my mother to vist my uncle (81 this year, and still taking care of his house and garden). I was able to figure out that the white-, pink-, and rose-flowered shrubs growing all over town were oleanders. What's puzzling me are the shrubs/trees growing in huge planters in front of the Train Museum in Old Sacramento. These were limbed up quite high (to better to show off their attractive, mottled bark, I presume), had somewhat glossy, elliptic leaves, pink flowers clustered at the end of the branch, and seemed to be the only possible source of a distinct, pleasant, flowery scent (which was something like linden flowers or Cashmere Bouquet soap). Based on the bark, especially, I thought they might be crape myrtles. But fter Googling around, it seems that main opinion is that scented crape myrtles are somewhat mythological. Pat If gas weren't so expensive I would just go down to the RR Museum and see; I haven't been there for a while. However, why not have your uncle give them a call and ask them........ Or if they don't know, have him contact the Sacramento Bee news garden editor and I'll bet she will be able to tell him/you. Let us know the answer too! My uncle, I think, I'll let be. But maybe (if I still have the urge to know) I'll see if I can email someone myself. It's not like I can grow crape myrtles here at home...just a bit curious, is all. -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) After enlightenment, the laundry. |
#6
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ID help: fragrant crape myrtles?
Jangchub said:
Crape Myrtles have flower clusters at the ends of branches. I never detected any fragrance and I have several on my property. They are everywhere in TX. Can't help there, but did you read Jack Kornfield's book" "After the Enlightenment the Laundry?" No. I took my quote from The Little Zen Companion. -- Pat in Plymouth MI ('someplace.net' is comcast) After enlightenment, the laundry. |
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