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Crape myrtles bloom throughout city
Dan Eakin/Staff Photo - Phil Wheat, vice president of the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney board of directors, and Melanie Hedrick, secretary, check out one of the thousands of crape myrtle trees in McKinney that are now blooming.
By Dan Eakin, deakin@starlocalnews.com
Many people are recommending that McKinney be officially registered as "America's Myrtle Crape City."
And for good reason.
The city has more than 5,000 crape myrtles along its streets and trails. Last year, it opened the Crape Myrtle World Collection Park at Craig Ranch, which has every variety of crape myrtles in the world. The seven-acre park is the only site in the world with each of the 120 known varieties.
That McKinney is now home to thousands of crape myrtles is not by accident. City fathers, Crape Myrtle Trails board members, Horticulture Committee members and a long list of interested citizens have helped create one of the most beautiful crape myrtle trails in the world.
The history of the development of the crape myrtle trails goes at least as far back as 1998, when the newly formed not-for-profit CMTM planted 15 crape myrtles at McKinney High School.
The CMTM Foundation was formed, and the following year, large numbers of the "Tuscarora" variety were planted along Eldorado Parkway, which is still the major thoroughfare for those wanting to tour the crape myrtle trails.
The CMTM is now a completely volunteer organization. Susan Owens, who served as executive director of the organization, is a volunteer member of the board. Others on the board include John Rattan, president, and board members Terri Rickets, Judi Maurantonio, Carolyn Skie, Lynn Sperry, Neil Sperry, Bill Whitfield, Dan Mitchell, Rodney Hayes, Martin Krueger, Bram Franklin, Scott Keller and Kerry Cassuto (active, but not formally voted on yet).
The CMTM and city staff work together to care for the needs of the crape myrtles throughout the city.
A Horticulture Committee, which includes CMTM members and non-members, helps oversee the needs of the crape myrtles. Neil Sperry, well known for his radio shows about gardening, serves as chair.
Others on the Horticulture Committee are Greg Church of the Texas AgriLife Extension, Joe Covington of Covington's Nursery in Rowlett, Johnette Taylor of Roundtree Landscape in Dallas, Rob Weir of the Shades of Green Nursery in Frisco, Jimmy Turner of the Dallas Arboretum, Steve Huddleston of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, arborist Scott Keller, nursery consultant Sharon McCants and board members Franklin, Haynes, Krueger and Owens.
Mike Merchant, an entomologist, and Xinwang Wang, a horticulturist specializing in crape myrtles, also serve as advisers to the CMTM.
The CMTM Foundation raises funds each year with a Fun-Run, which is the Saturday immediately prior to Thanksgiving. Last year, 21 local businesses and one family sponsored the event. The McKinney Community Development Corporation (MCDC) also provided funding for the run. The event raises funds through sponsorships and entry fees.
Crape myrtles in McKinney have already attracted attention from people far beyond the city.
In addition to publicity given to it on Sperry's radio show, speakers from several parts of the nation spoke at a symposium hosted by the CMTM several years ago.
Margaret Pooler, research horticulturist for the U.S. National Arboretum, has spoken twice in McKinney, and for a while the Crape Myrtle Society of America was based in McKinney.
Wheat said, "With our citizenry's commitment to featuring the South's premier flowering plant in our landscapes, we add one more piece to McKinney being one of the very best residential and business communities in the country."
For more information about Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney, and a map, go to www.crapemyrtletrails.org.
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