Crape myrtle blooms on new growth, so the best time to cut back these trees is in late winter, before new growth has sprouted. January through March is generally the best time to prune a crape myrtle, ...

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 ...

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 ...

When you close your eyes and think of a Southern summer garden, the first image may be an ancient live oak with low, sweeping branches, but the second image is puffs of sunset sky-colored crepe myrtle ...

Not long ago, I received the following email: “I have two crape myrtle trees in my front yard, one about 25 years old and one about 10 years old. They are in full sun. They usually bloom later than ...

Multiple crepe myrtle trees growing in a housing development. - Olesia Bilkei/Shutterstock You may be tempted by the fluffy blooms and attractive bark on crepe myrtles, but think twice before planting ...

Crape murder is happening all over town. 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 ...