mtp1805
ECO Image 2
This is a Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) that I seen while walking my dog at Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington, NC. Crape Myrtles are deciduous trees and are indigenous to China, Korea, and Japan but has become naturalized to parts of the Southeastern United States. As you can see in the picture, the tree is shedding part of it's bark. A Crape Myrtle enters this shedding stage once it reaches maturity. The outer bark exfoliates itself and exposes this beautiful red bark underneath. Also, in this picture you can see this unslightly growth on the trunk of the tree. This is largely due to excessive or incorrect pruning to this specific location on the tree. In the bottom right hand corner of the picture, you can see a lichen growing on the trunk of this Crape Myrtle. It is typical for lichens to appear on Crape Myrtle when the tree is in declining health. However, the lichen and the Crape Myrtle have a commensalism relationship. The lichen is benefiting from the declining health of the Crape Myrtle (less blooms are occurring, more sunlight for lichen to grow), but the Crape Myrtle is neither benefiting from the relationship nor is it being harmed by the lichen.
Source:
Shaughnessy, D., & Clemson University. (2015). Crape Myrtle. Retrieved from www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/trees/hgi...
ECO Image 2
This is a Crape Myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) that I seen while walking my dog at Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington, NC. Crape Myrtles are deciduous trees and are indigenous to China, Korea, and Japan but has become naturalized to parts of the Southeastern United States. As you can see in the picture, the tree is shedding part of it's bark. A Crape Myrtle enters this shedding stage once it reaches maturity. The outer bark exfoliates itself and exposes this beautiful red bark underneath. Also, in this picture you can see this unslightly growth on the trunk of the tree. This is largely due to excessive or incorrect pruning to this specific location on the tree. In the bottom right hand corner of the picture, you can see a lichen growing on the trunk of this Crape Myrtle. It is typical for lichens to appear on Crape Myrtle when the tree is in declining health. However, the lichen and the Crape Myrtle have a commensalism relationship. The lichen is benefiting from the declining health of the Crape Myrtle (less blooms are occurring, more sunlight for lichen to grow), but the Crape Myrtle is neither benefiting from the relationship nor is it being harmed by the lichen.
Source:
Shaughnessy, D., & Clemson University. (2015). Crape Myrtle. Retrieved from www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/trees/hgi...