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Don’t Murder Your Crepe Myrtles in Sandy Springs, GA

Posted by Christine Crandall on Jun 13, 2019 12:24:49 PM

Crepe Myrtles are a beautiful and common sight in the South because they are hearty, low-maintenance and drought-tolerant. However, there is a lot of misinformation about how to care for these shrubs/trees that not only makes them high-maintenance but decreases disease-tolerance. Crepe Myrtles can be beautiful, but they are often “murdered” by well-intentioned homeowners trying to restrict growth or encourage blooms.

crape myrtle

2 Myths of Pruning Crepe Myrtles

1. You Can Control Growth

The most common “murderous” event among Crepe Myrtles is trying to trim the large varieties into shrubs or smaller trees. You will not be successful in creating a hedge, and you’ll instead get knotted areas where excessive pruning occurred, and your “shrub” will be more vulnerable to disease. Go ahead and prune the suckers and dead-head during the summer, but don’t try to make a Crepe Myrtle into something it’s not.

There are a variety of Crepe Myrtle cultivars now available, and they range from 3 feet to 20 feet high, so choose a variety that will fit your space, and let it do its thing. The most beautiful Crepe Myrtles are those that are allowed to grow freely with minimal pruning. The newer cultivars are not only available in different sizes, but they also have more-vibrant colors and more-attractive bark.

2. You Will Encourage Blooms

Another myth about Crepe Myrtles is that you must trim them in order to get new blooms. While it is true that blooms occur on new growth, pruning does not have to occur to achieve that. After a summer bloom, dead-heading may encourage a second bloom, but you really should only dead-head those blooms that you can reach.

Note: Don’t prune in the late fall, as this will prevent the Crepe Murder from becoming dormant. These shrubs/trees only survive freezing temperatures when they are dormant.

Let it be.

The best thing you can do for your Crepe Myrtle is to let it be. Full growth is the best option for this flowering beauty, and “Crepe Murder” is what will happen if you get too aggressive with the pruning. The beauty of the Crepe Myrtle is that it requires very little effort. Its shape is beautiful naturally. Now that there are so many cultivars available, it is possible to get the Crepe Myrtle you envisioned without excessive pruning. Don’t over prune your tree, and you’ll have a beautiful Crepe Myrtles for years to come.

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