Crape myrtles should not be cut back. That is a terrible management practice that has gone amok. They do NOT need to be chopped back in order to bloom. What pruning they should receive needs to be devoted to the removal of inward growing branches, crossing branches, suckers, etc. Opening the tree up improves its appearance and allows for better sun penetration and air circulation. Even the dead seed heads from last year do not need to be removed.

Cutting back results in butchered plants with a horrible looking winter structure, excessive (weak) vegetative growth, and many other problems. The sad thing about the perfectly lovely crapemyrtle is that once it has been hacked, it can never be brought back to its original beauty.

If you wish to THIN out your crapemyrtles, you can do that at any time, though it is easier to see what you are doing when all of the leaves are gone. By the way, all you will need are some good loppers and a pair of hand pruners for this type of pruning. Feel free to email me if you would like me to send you some pruning information. Since these trees are in your front yard, they should be taken care of as investments....property value boosters. Cutting back or other bad pruning techniques will devalue them.

the practice of pruning crepe myrtles is commonly referred to as crepe murder. pruning them creates something very ugly--over time you get this knobby looking scar at the cutback point, and then thin growth above that cut point. its horrible.

You can trim your Crepe Myrtle now. I have some that I prune pretty hard every year and there beautiful. The best time to prune CM is just before bud break in the spring though I have done it later. It should be ok to do it now and still get plenty of blooms.

I have some CMÂs I donÂt prune and some I do, the CM I donÂt prune are in the back yard. The ones in my from yard, along the side walk, get pruned back to just above last years pruning (maybe about 8 inches)-every year. TheyÂve developed a fantastic shape and this huge Âumbrella of blooms in summer.

People saying CM shouldnÂt be pruned donÂt know what theyÂre talking about. I wouldnÂt think about NOT pruning mine.

Good God. That "umbrella shape" is a mass collection of spidering, thin sprouts from the stubs hacking the branches off creates.

"Murdering" weakens the tree and most likely, unless it's already a naturally vase-shaped form, distorts it. It makes it far more likely to fall prey to disease and mildew.

Many people, including the entire city of Richmond, VA, strip their trees down to raw sticks in ground. They do come back, because crapes are notoriously strong, but to say people "don't know what they're talking about" is quite ignorant. The life span of these trees is long, so there's a very good chance they might not ever noticed it might have been shortened by such pruning. On the other hand, they're also inexpensive, so if you lose one, get another, right? (I hope no one nodding their heads here feels this way about their pets, too.)

Talk to the people at the National Arboretum -- I think your blanket statement indicates who is ignorant about caring for CMs and who is not.

Geeze.
Christine

to each their own garden :)
some of the very well respected plant people in the carolinas have commented on this. i may be ignorant, but they are not. here is an example.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tony Avent, article on Crepe Murder

The piece was written by Greg Grant, not Tony Avent.

I agree with him 100%.

sorry to have implied that it was tony's article--the author is clear from the web page. that is tony's nursery website, and he is in strong agreement with the article.

No need to apologize. I'm a book business veteran, and I'm picky about attribution. ;>)

I have noticed this alot this year. Even my neighbor across the street did it. I dont like the look of it and will say to each his own. But if anyone comes near mine with pruners to do that it will get ugly.

My neighbor next door just planted a crape myrtle and was asking me when she should cut it back. I told her about thinning out the canes instead of chopping the top. I only hope she listens.

Carey

Calling pruning Crepe Myrtles "murder"? get a life. and I figured that calling pruning CMÂs "murder" was something someone read somewhere off the internet, and was just repeating here as if they knew something special that others didnÂt (they donÂt believe me).

I bet, no, I KNOW I get many more complements on my fantastic PRUNED crepe myrtles than any of you could ever, even if you worked at it for 20 years (if you even have any CMÂs that is). And I donÂt even need any "expert" plant NaziÂs with a website dictating to me what to do.

My Pruned CM would put any of your spindly, no blooming ugly trees to shame. That the truth of it. Sorry, people who repeat the myth that you donÂt prune CMÂs are ignorant and donÂt know what they are talking about, even if they have a website, read it off a website, or just made it up.

To each his own, yeah, but my pruned Crepe Myrtles are by far better, even the people here, who donÂt know what they're talking about, would say so if they saw them.

Yes you would.

I happen to have 42 crape myrtle varieties myself. Ok, I'm a little OCD (I also have 165 Japanese Maples, 32 heuchera, 72 hosta, 28 tiarella, 7 different phlox, all the nandina varieties including 72 of those darned berry-less red ones whose name escapes me right now -- I could go on...)

I am pleased to announce that all (yes ALL) put out such prolific blooms that these, along with my 14 Buddleia varietes, make my yard look like it's wiggling, it's so full of life and color.

I'm glad you're happy with your tortured tree. Just because you shave it and like the results, doesn't mean it is the right thing to do. They used to say that about binding up babies' feet tightly, taking bits of arsenic to make a complexion paler and supposedly more refined, yoga being a religion, the world being flat, and many other misguided "truths." Don't get me started on the hoo-ha about treating poison ivy, getting rid of moles, or about cats being soliatry by nature.

Anyway, It's a shame you're treating your CM in the fashion you do. If you were to drop dead or get hit by a bus, and there were no one to strip it next year? Guess what your new stems and branches would look like in a couple of years? But people do misunderstand the difference between blooming on new growth and the ultimate health of a plant. You're not alone, but rather Legion in number.

I can vouch for this stripping result, actually. When we moved into our current home, and before I knew anything at all about gardening, I had a renown, huge nursery come out and clear the poison ivy and brambles off 3 acres. Along the fence line we had 6 labeled crapes. They kindly cut them back as far as they could reach above their tallest person on their tallest ladder. A couple, being Natchez, were already huge, upright and vase-ing beautifully. Now, 4 years later, being hacked down to about 17'? They may never achieve their gorgeous, original, beautiful shape.

So no need to become (so) defensive. It's a shame you're not open to new ideas as the human race evolves. I wonder how you vote -- no I don't. Enjoy your crimped tree. Those of us who do know and really appreciate crapes? We'll just wince and pity the stately trees you and yours are preventing from standing in their own glory. Someday come on up here and visit the arboretum, or, if you'd prefer, my yard.

Christine

My favorite tree in the whole world is probably a crape myrtle left to its own to twist its way out of the ground and grow into a perfect tree shape (that is, whatever shape it will grow in given open space and plenty of sunshine, with some wind and driving rain thrown in). Drive by some graveyard in the country and you'll see what I'm talking about. Lots of graveyards around here plant Crapes and leave them be. These trees must be 20-30 years old. Clemson University has invested in several and leaves them to grow as they will. The blossoms don't suffer one bit. The lush green foliage, the beautiful pink/red/scarlet blooms, and the feminine bark all complete a beautiful picture. I'll see if I can round up some pictures of crape myrtles I've seen in the past.

http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1009.htm gives Clemson University's views on pruning your Crape.

I tell you all this with one confession. I have a Crape Myrtle I'm developing as bonsai, though the near-constant pruning doesn't lead to the nuckles. I'd also never "top" this one as its image would be ruined. I'm trying to develop the image of a large, unmolested crape myrtle in miniature.

bwaynef, what variety did you start with in your bonsai efforts?

I can't say for sure. I collected it as it grew voluntarily in one of my flower beds. I suspect it seeded from one of my other CM's, but I didn't plant them, so I don't know what the variety was. (I've since moved ...ala the past tense.)

It is NOT one of the dwarf varieties though.

WF

can you post pictures? tell us your approach? sounds interesting.

You've hit upon the trick of bonsai. Nature in miniature, not "scalped to form."

There are a lot of dwarf CMs now that are said to be perfect for bonsai, and I wonder if it's because you don't have to fight the tree's natural tendencies to be large? Just musing here, I guess.

Does yours bloom?

C.

I didn't mean to distract from the thread. Maybe I shouldn't have added my addendum.

Dwarves are not the best approach for bonsai as they simply grow too slowly. An impressive trunk, not necessary but highly regarded, is hard to achieve on most dwarves. The growth of regular sized trees is controlled thru root restriction and reduction (such as is necessary to plant into a pot.)

CM's bloom on new wood. They also grow VERY quickly. That presents a challenge in a bonsai pot. You can maintain the image you're after, or you can see pretty blooms. Last year I let one branch on my tree blossom to see what color it was. I'll probably work on developing the tree for a while before I let it bloom again.

A/the bonsai forum might be a more appropriate place to discuss bonsai.

Just don't murder/molest your crapes.

WF

ps. Email me if you want to talk bonsai. Put "Bonsai" in the subject line though.

I just found this link poking around. It might be of some interest.

from USDA.gov

I have this green mold/fungus growing on the trunk and some of the limbs on my Crepe Myrtle. It's about 15 feet tall (pink)and approximately 10 years old. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get rid of this funk?

Thanks!

i love a good flame war.

pruning is a personal decision, if you prune, more power to you, if you dont, thats cool too.

i can tell you most major growers (monrovia included) prune them.

The good news is that CM is a tough plant and will take a lot of abuse. Certainly not pruning exceppt to shape and remove dead limbs is easier and healthier for the tree, but that being said, many people have come acustomed to and appreciate CM that have been stripped and bloom in a tight cluster. Hey they are your trees! Enjoy!!

Intersting reading this. Sure hope it didn't cause any hard feelings towards anyone. I'm new to learning about Crepe Myrtles and was surprized to hear that is not a good thing to prune them but yes I have noticed that they would never look the same after doing so. I remember someone telling me that when CM get very tall, the only way to ever see the blooms is if you are flying a plane because they are all at the top and that's why you keep them pruned. Is this true?

What about cutting the tops a little to keep them from getting too tall? I have one in front of my shed that I planted two years ago & it is doing beautifully but I don't want it to get too tall. I've seen some that have been left unchecked & they have become as tall as trees. I personally think they should be kept as a small tree in height. When is a good time of year to trim the tops? What about after a hard frost & the leaves are off?

Just wondering about my CMs. I have 2 side by side and they are the same age. One is huge beautifully shaped and blooms wonderfully. The other is more lanky and has long
branches with blooms on the ends. The middle is more open. One branch goes straight up, the others kind of fall to the sides. They are the same variety. Is there something I can do to make it fill in the middle. It also seems to be later putting out foiliage. Or just enjoy the difference in them.
Thanks

Hi,

I bought a crepe myrtle 2 years ago and my neighbor also bought one. We both put them in the ground together and the next spring I snipped the ends of all of the twigs. Not sure if this is pruning as I didn't do it to any of the branches, just twiglets (I think that's the official name). Anyway, my neighbor just left hers without any snipping. The result was that last year mine grew to about 4 feet high (in bush form) and my neighbors to about 2 feet. Mine also bloomed pretty well and hers got nothing.

I heard that CM only blooms on new wood so I thought this would be the reason. Am I wrong?

And the most important question of all - I don't know whether to make a big bush of this thing ... or create a tree. Everyone talks about Crepe Myrtle trees but aren't they naturally shrubs or have I got a weird kind. I really like it, but I'd like it to grow pretty big ... maybe to 8 feet tall to block out some rocks.

Thanks.

Mark

Hi,

I bought a crepe myrtle 2 years ago and my neighbor also bought one. We both put them in the ground together and the next spring I snipped the ends of all of the twigs. Not sure if this is pruning as I didn't do it to any of the branches, just twiglets (I think that's the official name). Anyway, my neighbor just left hers without any snipping. The result was that last year mine grew to about 4 feet high (in bush form) and my neighbors to about 2 feet. Mine also bloomed pretty well and hers got nothing.

I heard that CM only blooms on new wood so I thought this would be the reason. Am I wrong?

And the most important question of all - I don't know whether to make a big bush of this thing ... or create a tree. Everyone talks about Crepe Myrtle trees but aren't they naturally shrubs or have I got a weird kind. I really like it, but I'd like it to grow pretty big ... maybe to 8 feet tall to block out some rocks.

Thanks.

Mark

Everyone is willing to argue. But no one is willing to post pictures so that everyone on here can judge for themselves about pruning CM's. Arguing does nothing for learning.

I am not saying I am an expert, but I do have 20+ years in the hort field. I am still willing to learn and listen to others and even to post my pics and look at others to further my knowledge in this field. I am not willing to be close-minded or treat others as if they are ignorant idiots.

Warren8 - If your CM's are so much better than all of ours, why aren't you proudly displaying your beautiful pictures? I'm not saying you are ignorant on the topic of CM's. But to treat people this way(in my opinion) IS very ignorant.

garden_n_mom

I agree with garden-n-mom.. warren please don't be ignorant!
Bubu

It is best to prune crape myrtles just before new growth. Crapes flower on new wood. If you prune just before growth flush you will get many new small shoots that will flower. Also whom ever wrote only prune cross branches and inward growing branches is correct. Rule of thumb from Micheal Dirr, the "God" of ornamental horticulture from the University of Georgia don't prune any branch bigger than your pinky finger. Also after flowers fade and you only have those seed pods left cut them off and you will get a second bloom. I keep mine blooming until October. Good Luck. And Read any of Micheal Dirrs books. All the Universities use them and they are a good read.