NICE! Plant of the Month
(Malpighia glabra)
Family: Malpighiaceae
Other Common Names: Mexican Myrtle, Wild Crepe Myrtle
Type: shrub or small tree
Natural Habitat: native range from South Texas through the Caribbean, Central America, and Brazil
Growth: 3-4 ft.
Preferred Site and Use: sun to partial shade
Deer Resistance: white tail deer sometimes eat the leaves
Wildlife: bees, butterflies and/or birds
Light Tolerance: full shade, dappled shade, partial shade and partial sun
Flowers: rose/mauve blooms
Bloom Period: mid spring to fall
Fruit: bright red, berry-sized, seedless fruit, resembles the common cherry
Leaves: semi-evergreen
Water Requirements: low once established and very drought tolerant
Soil Requirements: Sand, loam, clay, well drained
Maintenance: deadhead to prevent volunteer seedlings next season
Planting Instructions: Space plants 2 feet apart. Dig a hole at least two times wider than, but the same depth as the root ball in the nursery container. Sides of the hole should be irregular, not smooth. Remove plant from container, taking care to support the root ball. Loosen exterior roots gently with your fingers. If the plant is root-bound and cannot be loosened by hand, the outer roots may be cut in several places. Lift the plant by the root ball and place into the hole. Backfill hole, using soil that was dug out.. Do not add any soil to the top of the root ball, but a thin layer of compost may be spread over the soil surface. Gently firm the soil with your hands, but do not tamp it down. Place 3-4 inches of mulch over the bare soil around, but not touching the base of the plant.
Watering Instructions: Water deeply after planting to settle soil around roots. Then every 7-10 days, as needed, during the first growing season. Before watering, check for soil moisture at a depth of an inch or two at the edge of the root ball. Skip a watering after a rainfall of ½ to 1 inch. Maintain this watering schedule until the first fall. Reduce watering during the cool fall and winter months. In a “normal” year, no watering may be necessary during the fall and winter, but during a dry period, monthly watering may be needed. Second Spring and thereafter: Water monthly only during periods of drought. Once established, natives will survive with little supplemental irrigation.
NICE! Tip: In Texas, this plant will make a dense groundcover when mowed to 2 feet tall. A common dooryard tree throughout much of Central America. A single fruit contains the minimum daily recommended vitamin C requirements with a vitamin C content up to 65 times that of an orange. Fruits lose their flavor and nutritional content very rapidly upon harvest. Ripen fruit should be picked and eaten within a few hours to preserve taste.
Look for the NICE! Plant of the Month signs and information sheets on your next visit to a participating Boerne nursery. And thank you for supporting native plants by using them in your landscapes.
