A representative summer flower is crape myrtle (sarusuberi). Along the Uchibori-dori sidewalk in front of the Palaceside Building, about 50 trees over 200 meters are blooming again this year in pink, red and white =photo above. We hope passersby are enjoying them too =photo at the end.
This avenue is managed by the Palaceside Building as a participant in Tokyo's Fureai Road Program, so the road stays pleasant to use. It began in fiscal 2002, so this is the 18th year. As we have reported on this blog, some trees have worn with the years; in the past two years or so we replanted about ten. That is why some are short. Even small, they are working hard to bloom.
Crape myrtle is known for a long flowering season. Blooming about 100 days from roughly July through September is the origin of the Japanese name hyakujitsuko. Strictly, new flowers keep opening on the same tree, so it feels as if they bloom on and on. Having flowers that never fail for so long is a gift in an avenue.
The many colors are another pleasure. White, pale purple, pink — and because "hyakujitsuko" contains "red," perhaps the deep color is the original. Yet it feels more peach than scarlet.
So, which is your favorite?
