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 ...

There are few summer sights more iconic than a crepe myrtle in full bloom. In colorful hues like pink, violet, and red, crepe myrtles are a favorite of gardeners looking for a low maintenance ...

Q: Should I remove the seedpods off my crape myrtles? What about cutting them back in general. A: No, and NO! In fact, you should not remove much of anything from the tops of your crape myrtles. I see ...

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 ...

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 nickname: ...

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 ...

You’ve probably seen crape myrtle trees pruned to look like a coat rack. Hopefully, you’re not guilty of doing this. The term “crape murder” was coined to describe this drastic topping of crape ...

Question: I have a friend who wants to know the best time to prune crape myrtles. I told him February. Is this correct? Answer: Pruning crape myrtles is always a hot topic. Some want to do heavy ...

Here we go again. I see some folks are already hacking on their crape myrtles. The only pruning crape myrtles ever need (if at all) is thinning the trunks as they are developing to the desired ...

*Refers to the latest 2 years of stltoday.com stories. Cancel anytime. This July 6, 2017 photo shows a flowering Crape Myrtle in Dallas, Texas. When taking photos in your garden, of your landscaping ...

Timing is everything when it comes to pruning a crape myrtle. So when is it too late to prune crape myrtles if you want blooms in the summer? Along with not cutting off next year’s flowers, your ...