Crepe myrtles, Lagerstroemia indica, vary in size from dwarf shrubs to multi-trunked and single-trunk trees growing to 30 feet tall. Most varieties produce beautiful blooms starting in spring or ...

In the picture above, it's obvious that something has gone wrong. When you drive past a heavily pruned crepe myrtle tree (occasionally spelled "crape myrtle") your impression might be that someone ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Q. I need advice of how to trim my crape myrtle. It is a mess and I don’t know where to start. Any advice would be helpful. — D. Revell, Hertford, N.C. A. The good news is that you have a small tree ...

Flowering trees can transform a dull patio into an at-home oasis, and bring a sense of tranquility to your backyard. However, if you aren't ready to fully commit to planting a tree directly into the ...

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: ...