I had always wondered about Crepe Myrtle as a bow wood. I have some here in my yard, and cut it back, have a few pieces in the garage, to carve. It is harder than Chinese arithmetic! Would make a nice mallet head for wood chisels. When my Girlfriend lived in Gainesville, she had a couple big stands of it in her yard, and had some nice straight staves growing straight up, about 8 or 9 ft. and about 3-4 1/2 inches in diameter. I had asked her if I could cut some of it to see if it would make a bow, and she told I could cut as much of it as I wanted, but I never did. Occasionally, I will see some around the neighbor hood. I will let this grow up some and see if it will grow straight up. Has anyone heard from El Destructo? I sent him some carrot wood a year or so back, and never heard if he ever got around to making a bow out of it, and if so, how it turned out. Thanks for posting the info. The leaves from the Crepe Myrtle can be boiled into a tea, called Banaba, and is good for Diabetes. Actually they boil the tea, and evaporate it, and you have a green powder, to make tea with. I just put a handful, in my cup and pour boiling water over it, and let it steep for 5-10 minutes, then drink it. You can buy it on line, or at some healthfood stores. The Crepe Myrtle can get to very tall heights, like the red woods. Never seen any here like that, but according to the info that came with herb package, it grows to phenomenal heights in India. There are different species of it also, I believe.
Wayne
