July and August are very hot. Some flowers don’t do well in this weather, but one flower that does is the crepe myrtle. Actually, it isn’t a flower. It is a flowering tree. The flowers bloom for a long time, so the Chinese name means “red for 100 days.” It has a Japanese name with a different meaning. “Sarusuberi” translates as “monkey slipping” in English. They say that the bark of the tree is so smooth that even monkeys slip and fall when they climb it. Pink is a common color in Nagoya, and these trees look beautiful with their green leaves and pink flowers against the blue summer sky. Look around, and you will probably find these trees in your neighborhood.   (122 words)

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