crape myrtle [Rhapsody in Pink]

An upright, deciduous shrub or small, multi-stemmed tree to 3m tall, with peeling, grey and brown bark and glossy, dark green leaves, purple-flushed when young. In late summer, if the weather has been hot, it produces pink flowers with crinkled petals, held in conical clusters to 20cm long. Grown against a sunny, sheltered wall and protected from frost when young it will make a stunning specimen plant in mild districts