DUNCAN — Anyone driving around Duncan can see an array of large bushes covered with clusters of small ruffled flowers in shades ranging from white to pink to purples and lavender to red, with many variations between. The crapemyrtles are in bloom, and they are beautiful.

But, picture that wave of color spreading across the city, brightening up the hot, dry summer landscape and drawing visitors to the city, and the often-taken-for-granted shrub becomes, in the words of an Oklahoma horticulturist, a “summer show-off!”

A July 11 gala at Duncan Golf & Country Club — “Crepes for Crapemyrtles” — celebrated the 2008 Oklahoma state Legislature’s designation of Duncan as the Crapemyrtle Capital of Oklahoma, and did so in style, said Carolyn Rodgers, who came up with the idea of clothing Duncan in colorful crapemyrtles and is overall chairman of the project.

Approximately 200 people turned out for a filet mignon dinner and dessert crepes followed by dancing to a jazz band, Rodgers said. By the end of the evening, more than $5,000 had been raised for the cause.

Her husband, Rick, served as emcee for the evening, and introduced Sen. Anthony Sykes and Rep. Dennis Johnson, who sponsored the Legislature’s Resolution 44 that made the designation official. The resolution was signed by Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, who was acting governor at the time. Askins was unable to attend the gala, however.

“Then it was my turn to speak, and I outlined our plans for the future. There are three great ways to make Duncan bloom with crapemyrtles.

“The first is for individuals to plant crapemyrtles in their yards, especially in their front yards where everyone in the community can enjoy them. Crapemyrtles will grow anywhere they can get about eight hours of sunlight a day.

“The second way is to encourage the city to work with us — to think crapemyrtles any time there is a need for plantings around town.

“The third is what we call our ‘Super Sponsors.’ There are five levels of sponsorship, depending on the size of the donations. Gene Nelson of Duncan was our first Super Sponsor,” Rodgers said.

She explained that each of the five levels of sponsorship is named for a variety of crapemyrtle: “Dynamite,” “Red Rocket,” “Raspberry Sundae,” “Victor” and “Tight Wad,” which really is the name of a variety of crapemyrtle.

Dr. Carl Whitcomb, who operates the Horticultural Research Center outside of Stillwater, has bred many of the crapemyrtles seen around the state. Representatives from Beijing came to Oklahoma about six years ago to obtain crapemyrtles to plant around the Olympic venues, concentrating on the red varieties.

“So when you watch the Olympics this summer, and see the beautiful Red Rocket and Dynamite crapemyrtles on TV, you will know that they came from Oklahoma — with a Southern accent!” Rodgers said.

It was Whitcomb who established the style for the designation, Rodgers said.

“You see it as crepe myrtle, crape myrtle, crapemyrtle, but Doctor Whitcomb insisted it should be one word, and he explained it like this: ‘There is a type of plant known as the myrtle. If you write it as crape myrtle, with a space between the two words, it can be confusing, as people could see it as part of the myrtle family, which it is not.’

“We decided to make it crapemyrtle, and we’re sticking with it,” Rodgers said.

While it’s best to plant crapemyrtles in the fall, they can really be planted all year long, even in the winter if the ground is not frozen.

Crapemyrtles bloom 90 to 120 days of the year, with varieties that begin blooming in June, July and August, and continue flowering until frost, she said.

Dream Duncan’s Destiny Beautification Committee hopes to be able to hold crapemyrtle festivals in Duncan each summer, much like the azalea festival for which Muskogee is known. If as few as 1,000 new crapemyrtles are planted in Duncan each year, in five years, there will be a really big showing, Rodgers noted.

“If medians are filled with crapemyrtles, if business owners, particularly along the highway, plant crapemyrtles, and if homeowners plant them in their yards, Duncan will be a beautiful place to be in the summertime,” Rodgers said.

Tax-deductible donations can be made to the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma through the Duncan Area Economic Development Foundation, 2124 N. U.S. Highway 81, Duncan, OK 73533. For information, call Rodgers at 580-252-7229 or e-mail crapemyrtle@cableone.net.