The Crepe Myrtles dazzle

Late summer is the time of year when Madison Park's Crepe Myrtles are at their showiest.  The lush-blooming trees, which line the final block of E. Madison Street, get a lot of commentary from visitors to the neighborhood, and workers in the business district's shops and restaurants are often asked, "What kind of trees are those?"

Lagerstroemia (the tree's horticultural name) is a native of tropical and subtropical Asia and Oceania. On a sunny day in Madison Park, the trees' exotic appearance helps some of us preserve the illusion that we're really not a mostly gray and damp corner of the universe after all.