Pruning Your Crape Myrtle

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Pruning Your Crape Myrtle

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Crape Myrtle Image CCO — Crape Myrtle at Sunset

Pruning your Crape Myrtle

One of the attractive flowering trees in the landscape is the Crape Myrtle, Lagerstroemia sp. Their shape, bark color, and flowers are a highlight of the summer landscape in Florida. As is more easy to see over the winter months, however, many landscapers and homeowners top crape myrtles. This pruning practice creates an unattractive plant with large limbs and branch stubs exposed. While seen widely both in Florida and in other states, this practice leads to multiple weak branches growing out of a single cut limb. It also can result in many suckers coming up from the base of the plant. Topping, or pollarding (cutting back to the same place each year) leads to less flowers being produced in the summer.

Correct Pruning of Crape Myrtles

Selecting the right crape myrtle planted in the right place results in little or no pruning needed. However, there are reasons for prune crape myrtles. Pruning correctly leads to a plant with a better plant structure and appearance, and to the production of more flowers. While it is best to prune just before the dormant season ends in late winter to early spring, you should remove dead, diseased and dying limbs at any time.

Remove limbs that prevent the movement of people or vehicles, or are safety hazards. Prune vigorous limbs that grow quickly out of the middle of your crape myrtle. Branches that are crossing or rubbing should also be pruned . Trim the smaller branches after flowering or fruiting at any time without risk of excessive buds breaking. Correctly pruning your crape myrtle will provide you with an attractive flowering plant during the summer months in your Florida landscape.

For information on Crape Myrtles, read about Crape Myrtle Pruning, the New Red-Flowered Crape Myrtles, and Crape Myrtle in Florida, which provides a great list of crape myrtle sizes, colors and disease resistance.

by Lisa Sanderson Avatar photo Posted: February 10, 2018

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes Tags: Crape Myrtle, Pruning, Topping

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Comments:

Lisa Sanderson January 7, 2022

Hi Raymond, We planted it in our garden December of 2020 - the temps that December were at 29 in the morning for 5 days and again some in Jan. and the Aster did great! So, I'm assuming it would be fine to plant it now. It bloomed like gangbusters this fall - one grow much more than the others, but all bloomed. Lisa Sanderson

Jeff Rogers December 31, 2021

great article thanks

Raymond Day December 22, 2021

Can I plant the Aster now in zone 9a or wait till spring?

Jim Davis January 21, 2021

Hi Chuck! I am teaching some classes at The Villages Enrichment Academy- Meet Your Local Wildlife. Hope to see you there or maybe one of our upcoming Hikes. 2/5 and 2/19. If interested on the Hikes, email me [email protected] Best, Jim

Chuck Windle, M D January 17, 2021

Liked your notes on whistling ducks. We have some in the Bridgeport Lake Sumter neighborhood on Buena Vista. We enjoy their daily flights over our yard nightly. You can hear who they are. Best wishes, have not seen you for while but none of us have really seen anyone for a while.

laduncan December 9, 2020

If you use overnight oats, be sure to heat them to steaming before eating them. Technically, it is most safe to cook them before putting them in the refrigerator, but cooked oats get very thick and may need extra liquid.

Lisa Sanderson December 9, 2020

Hi Shirley, Crape myrtles are typically pruned mid-February and then tips and fruits can be removed rather than heading back to one spot. You can always prune dead, diseased and damaged limbs at any time. Thanks for your question! Lisa

Lisa Sanderson December 9, 2020

Hi Steve, I'm not sure there is a magic date of dormancy. Dormancy can be on many plants due to lower temperature or a change in the photoperiod or short day length. Even though crape myrtles may have held onto their leaves perhaps longer than they may have in northern states, they too are going dormant. Many hold onto It's best not to prune them unti mid-February and then only doing small pruning of tips or fruit. Thanks for your question! Lisa

Lisa Sanderson December 9, 2020

Hi Patrick - I believe that this is a duplicate, but if you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]. Thank you for your questions! Lisa

Lisa Sanderson December 9, 2020

Hi Patrick, This is a great question. Ideally, you don't prune your crape myrtles until mid-February rather than a winter pruning. Often folks think they should have their crape myrtles topped each year, but the February pruning should not be a topping sort of cut, but a cut that may remove smaller selected limbs or fruit if needed. Thanks for your question! Lisa

Evelyn Hill December 8, 2020

I’m a fan of overnight oats that contain the oats as well as almond milk a bit of cinnamon and berries. I usually just heat it a bit in the microwave about 2 minutes the next morning. Is that enough heat or just stop with the overnight oats?

Patrick S Jurgens November 15, 2020

Looking for somebody experienced with crepe myrtle trees cutting them back for winter time

Patrick S Jurgens November 15, 2020

Looking for a person experienced in cutting back crepe myrtle trees for winter

Steve October 27, 2020

When is dormant session in Florida? Thank you,

Shirley Anderson October 25, 2020

Hello. I live in Apopka, FL. I have 2 Crape Myrtle trees in poor shape. When and where on the trees should I prune? I have a photo. Thanks. Shirley Anderson

Jim Davis June 10, 2020

Hi Gary, Thanks for attending! Here is the link to the What is Biting Me Webinar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqi3-0EqR0M If you click the UrbanEnt icon, that is my page and you can view or subscribe to look at other recorded webinars. Here is the link to the IFAS Bookstore with info on snakes http://ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu/c-15-natural-resources-and-wildlife.aspx?pagenum=4 Look forward to seeing you in upcoming webinars! Email me at [email protected] for any more questions. Thanks! Jim

Gary June 8, 2020

Jim, Thanks for such an informative session about poisonous snakes last Friday! It was my first Zoom experience. Will that session and What's Biting Me? be on YouTube? Also, I did not receive the additional resources in my email (address in field below). And where can I purchase the snake playing cards? Thanks again for a phenomenal presentation!

Jim Davis May 22, 2020

Hi Ron, Eastern Time; Here are upcoming webinars. You can view YouTube webinars at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhmmmlFbJG8&t=3s My channel is UrbanEnt to view more videos May 26 at 1:00 pm Dr. Faith Oi and myself will be presenting on Keeping Bugs and Rats out of your house. Dr. Oi is a world-renowned urban entomologist and the director of UF/IFAS Pest Management University. We will cover rats, cockroaches, ants and simple exclusion techniques. Throughout Florida and the U.S., we are seeing a resurgence of these pests during this time. Is your landscape rat proof? Find out! Zoom Webinar link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/97733306825 May 29 at 1:00 pm I will be presenting on Common Mammals in the Landscape. I will be going over raccoons, opossums, armadillos, squirrels and more! I will share some interesting facts about some of these critters. Zoom Webinar link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92369361489 June 2 at 11:00 am, Brooke Moffis (UF/IFAS Extension Lake County agent) and I will be presenting on “What’s Biting Me?”. Brooke and I will go over some common biting/stinging insects and arthropods and teach you what to look out for. Zoom Webinar link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92053892707 We look forward to having you. Please log on early. Webinars max out at 100 attendees.

Jim Davis May 22, 2020

Hi Wanda, Hi Barbara, Here are upcoming webinars. You can view YouTube webinars at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhmmmlFbJG8&t=3s My channel is UrbanEnt to view more videos May 26 at 1:00 pm Dr. Faith Oi and myself will be presenting on Keeping Bugs and Rats out of your house. Dr. Oi is a world-renowned urban entomologist and the director of UF/IFAS Pest Management University. We will cover rats, cockroaches, ants and simple exclusion techniques. Throughout Florida and the U.S., we are seeing a resurgence of these pests during this time. Is your landscape rat proof? Find out! Zoom Webinar link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/97733306825 May 29 at 1:00 pm I will be presenting on Common Mammals in the Landscape. I will be going over raccoons, opossums, armadillos, squirrels and more! I will share some interesting facts about some of these critters. Zoom Webinar link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92369361489 June 2 at 11:00 am, Brooke Moffis (UF/IFAS Extension Lake County agent) and I will be presenting on “What’s Biting Me?”. Brooke and I will go over some common biting/stinging insects and arthropods and teach you what to look out for. Zoom Webinar link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92053892707 We look forward to having you. Please log on early. Webinars max out at 100 attendees.

Jim Davis May 22, 2020

Hi Barbara, Here are upcoming webinars. You can view YouTube webinars at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhmmmlFbJG8&t=3s My channel is UrbanEnt to view more videos May 26 at 1:00 pm Dr. Faith Oi and myself will be presenting on Keeping Bugs and Rats out of your house. Dr. Oi is a world-renowned urban entomologist and the director of UF/IFAS Pest Management University. We will cover rats, cockroaches, ants and simple exclusion techniques. Throughout Florida and the U.S., we are seeing a resurgence of these pests during this time. Is your landscape rat proof? Find out! Zoom Webinar link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/97733306825 May 29 at 1:00 pm I will be presenting on Common Mammals in the Landscape. I will be going over raccoons, opossums, armadillos, squirrels and more! I will share some interesting facts about some of these critters. Zoom Webinar link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92369361489 June 2 at 11:00 am, Brooke Moffis (UF/IFAS Extension Lake County agent) and I will be presenting on “What’s Biting Me?”. Brooke and I will go over some common biting/stinging insects and arthropods and teach you what to look out for. Zoom Webinar link: https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92053892707 We look forward to having you. Please log on early. Webinars max out at 100 attendees.

Ron Houser May 8, 2020

Is the 1pm time Eastern or Central time? Please specify. Some of us ar on Central time.

Wanda May 3, 2020

UF IFAS Sumter County Master Gardeners Chat Conversation Start Jim Davis, I have been watching the zoom webinars by UF on Fridays at 1 p.m. and really wanted to see the one on birds this past Friday but could not connect. You had promoted these on April 6 on the Entomology FB page. I know they changed the zoom meeting account number the Friday before but neither the new or the old meeting number worked. Can you help me? Also is there as way to still watch what I missed on the bird program? Anyone's assistance would be be appreciated! The new zoom meeting number I had was 441950330 The original number was 92836621685

Tim Momol April 29, 2020

good job! thanks

Lisa Sanderson April 17, 2020

Hi Sylvia, Yes, suckers that are coming from the base of a crape myrtle can be removed. Sometimes they may come up due to topping the crape myrtle in the fall, and some varieties that are shrub-like tend to try to return to their previous growth habit.

Barbara Wertz April 15, 2020

Did you record these Zoom events? Are they posted on Youtube?

Sylvia April 9, 2020

I too am new to the area and was told by my neighbor that the huge tree in the yard is a white crape myrtle. There are many thin branches coming up from the base. Are they considered to be suckers -and should they be removed? Thank you

Kathryn Lujano March 11, 2020

I have a small crepe Myrtle tree and all the tiny branches look dead. It has dead looking berries on the top also. Should I cut that off? It’s here in California months of early March.

Lisa Sanderson November 30, 2019

Hi Gail, You can prune dead, diseased or crossing limbs at any time, but its best to do pruning during the dormant season. You may notice some people have their crape myrtles topped which is an undesirable method of pruning. It can result in excessive sprouts from the base and a plant that takes longer to flower. Topping results in many sprouts emerging out of the cut limbs. Often crape myrtles don't need any pruning but you can remove the seed clusters. Crape myrtles may flower from perhaps late spring/early summer to late summer depending on the cultivar. They will not flower again until next year, and the leaves should drop so the structure of the crape myrtle should be more apparent. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Gail November 28, 2019

We’re new to FL and crepe Myrtle trees. Do I prune heavy branches where it appears little flowers or berries are brown. They look dried up. How far back do you prune? Thank you

Jim Davis November 10, 2018

Hi Linda, Try http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/managed/gopher-tortoise/rules-and-regulations/ Best, Jim

Linda Phipps October 31, 2018

Hi Jim...we have a home at 17743 Lake Lucy Lane in Groveland Florida. The land above us has been sold for development of 500 to 700 homes. There are dozens maybe a hundred gopher tortoises on that property that will be bulldozed under unless someone steps in. There are also pileated woodpeckers and our octagenerian neighbor now deceased told us a small Indian burial ground is located by a pecan grove next to the Lake. I just need some contacts and I thank you for your affection for beautiful gopher tortoises. Keep up the good work. Linda Phipps 561 289 3478 master gardener.

Jim Davis September 19, 2018

Hi Joyce, I would contact FWC http://myfwc.com/ to see what you can do with the collapse burrow. With the female, I would let nature take its course. Hopefully, the little ones will do ok. Best, Jim Davis [email protected]

Joyce Olcott September 16, 2018

What do I do if the gopher tortoise’s burrough has caused my ground to collapse? I had three small gardens and with the rain, and the burrough directly below, it has caused my grass and ground to collapse...also I had a female lay eggs that should be hatching in the next few weeks. Is there anything I need to do for the little ones?

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Pruning Your Crape Myrtle