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.

If you have a spot for a specimen shrub or tree, consider planting a crape myrtle. They are cold hardy, produce attractive flowers, and may also provide some free pest control. Since we are on the ...

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 ...

Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia sp) are among the toughest and showiest plants for Texas landscapes. Introduced from China, crape myrtles have been grown in the U.S. since the American Revolution and ...

Crape myrtle topping is so prolific that many homeowners do it year after year without knowing why. Removing branches promotes larger, although less numerous, blooms; it is a maintenance task easily ...

Carol Frary is a graduate of the Extension Service Master Gardener class. This column runs biweekly and feature information indigenous to the area. To have your question answered call the extension ...

Speaking as a “plantaholic” who likes just about all things with foliage, fronds or needles, one plant I started to salivate over in the 1990s was crape myrtle (Lagerstroemia sp.). For us in northern ...

So far, 2025 has been the best year I’ve seen for crape myrtles in the past 15 or 20. Many of us feel they’re the best flowering shrubs and small trees for the South, and this year is certainly ...

Drip, drip, buzz, buzz, time to think of all the rain and bugs because spring is getting closer!!! We should let that soak in a little while so we realize the time for spring planting and the insects ...