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During the killer summer heat here in Texas one bit of beauty that survives are the bright colors of the Crape (or Crepe) Myrtle trees, blooming on the warmest of days.

Crape Myrtle blooms.

They also have these amazing limbs, covered in smooth bark.

Crape Myrtle grove at the Dallas Arboretum

This winter, the ice storm showed another side of their beauty, glowing like crystal in the faint sunlight filtering through the clouds.

(click to enlarge)