I usually wait until mid-January to write something on this topic but this week I saw my first severe pruning of a crape myrtle for this dormant season earlier this month. So, instead of visions of ...

The crepe myrtle is a spectacular tree and, if kept in good health, it can elevate the look of any garden. To ensure the tree blooms as it should come late spring, and the branches can hold the weight ...

Years of improper pruning have taken their toll on this crape myrtle tree. (Alan Windham, University of Tennessee) QUESTION: While visiting a local mall, I noticed the crape myrtles had all been cut ...

Crape myrtle blooms on new growth, so the best time to cut back these trees is in late winter, before new growth has sprouted ...

This improperly pruned crape myrtle tree has undergone “crape murder,” which is when the entire crown of the crape myrtle tree is cut off. Courtesy of Leaf & Limb, a Raleigh-based tree care company ...

Question. We recently purchased a home and have two crape myrtles that bloomed profusely last year. When do you prune these plants, and how far back to do the trimming? Answer. Now is the time most ...

In the spring as the weather changes, many are concerned about pruning crape myrtles. Hacking the tops of crape myrtles has become a common practice in Rowan County as often referred as “Crape Murder.

Somehow, the belief that crape myrtles should be brutally pruned by cutting off their tops persists, even though it's inaccurate. Crape murder is a term that has been coined to describe this severe ...

Prune crape myrtles in late winter to encourage strong new growth and flower production. Avoid pruning in spring, summer, or fall to prevent cutting off new flowers and stressing the tree. Never top ...

As a rule, trees in Northeast Florida can be pruned any time of year. However, the winter months seem to bring out the pruning bug in many folks. Also, any information on pruning would not be complete ...

Question: Crape myrtles are both heavily pruned and not pruned in our neighborhood. What is correct? Answer: Most horticulturists do not prune their crape myrtles or do what is called pencil pruning.

Whenever I get to the Q&A portion of a talk about pruning trees, there is always a question about how to prune crape myrtles. This time of year, those questions are even more common, as folks start ...