Chinese Researchers Visit McKinney’s Crape Myrtle Collection A group of crape myrtle breeders from China made a special stop during their U.S. visit in mid-January to see McKinney’s World Collection Park of Crape Myrtles. The group from Hubei Academy of Forestry Sciences in Wuhan, China, came to learn more about the mission of McKinney’s Crape Myrtle Trails and the extensive collection of crape myrtles planted in the one-of-a-kind park. The Chinese team of researchers, led by Hubei Academy Professor Yanling Yang, was guided in its tour of the park and the trails by Xinwang Wang, Texas A&M AgriLife Research assistant professor and plant breeder, and Neil Sperry, Texas horticulturist and initiator of McKinney’s Crape Myrtle Trails Foundation and the new park. The group planned also to visit the USDA’s Southern Horticultural Research Center in Poplarville, Miss., to see crape myrtle research there. The $1.3-million World Collection Park is one of McKinney’s newest public parks. It encompasses 7 acres and features “rooms” of red, pink, purple, lavender and white crape myrtles in almost every known variety. It is located on Collin McKinney Parkway, east of Alma and west of Stacy – just north of the soccer fields in Craig Ranch, where it’s being discovered as a popular park for strolls, jogs, and dog walks. Since 2000 the Crape Myrtle Trails Foundation has been responsible for the planting of nearly 22,000 crape myrtles in the community. The group’s founders avidly promote crape myrtles as “the premier flowering plant of the South.” McKinney currently boasts the slogan “America’s Crape Myrtle City.” Last year Crape Myrtle Trails volunteers, headed by businessman Phil Wheat, worked with local, state and national legislators to win that designation from their legislative bodies. PHOTO CAPTION Crape myrtle researchers from China (front row, left to right) are Chan Peng, assistant researcher, Yanling Yang, professor, and Zhenfang Li, assistant researcher, all from Hubei Academy of Forestry Sciences in Wuhan, China. Behind them are Xinwang Wang, assistant professor at Texas A&M AgriLife Research Center in Dallas, and Neil Sperry, Texas horticulturist and World Collection Park founder. NOTE: A high-resolution version of the photo is available for use in print by contacting carolyn@sperrygardens.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:17:09 +0000
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