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 ...

The first step is to stand back and study the shape of your crepe myrtle. Decide how you want your plant to look. Some questions to consider are whether you want a tree with several trunks or just ...

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 ...

Time outdoors is always a pleasure. One of my personal favorite tasks in getting ready for spring is pruning trees and shrubs. Crepe Myrtles are small, multi-trunked trees that too many gardeners ...

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 ...

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 ...

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.

Crape myrtles are cherished for their eye-catching blooms and elegant shapes, yet a myth persists about their care. Many people falsely believe that severely cutting back crape myrtles to bare ...

It doesn’t matter how horticulturists talk about proper pruning techniques, each year more and more trees are cut back to stubs. Standard crape myrtles have the potential to be wonderful small ...

Now’s the time of year you’re most likely to see naked crape myrtle trees, the unfortunate consequence of improper wintertime pruning. The practice has even been given a not-so-affectionate ...

Pruning your crepe myrtle into a multi-trunked or single-trunked tree enhances its autumn and winter interest by highlighting the plant's structure and multi-colored bark. Follow this guide for ...