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How to Trim a Crepe Myrtle Bush
How to Trim a Crepe Myrtle Bush. The clusters of crinkly white, pink, red or purple flowers of the crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) grace home, business and civic landscapes each summer. This deciduous multi-stemmed tree or bush can grow from 15 to 30 feet in height and 6 to 15 feet in width. The trunk of crepe myrtle is interesting to see as it...
The clusters of crinkly white, pink, red or purple flowers of the crepe myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica) grace home, business and civic landscapes each summer. This deciduous multi-stemmed tree or bush can grow from 15 to 30 feet in height and 6 to 15 feet in width. The trunk of crepe myrtle is interesting to see as it loses its bark and presents a smooth image under the vibrant foliage. Crepe myrtle grows well in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 9 and can be the focal point of your landscape with a few trimming or pruning techniques.
Things You'll Need
Hand clippers for twigs and branches up to 1/2 inch
Lopping shears for 1/2-inch to 1 1/2-inch branches
Remove the limbs of your crepe myrtle that are broken, dead or diseased.
Remove suckers. Suckers are new growth called shoots that grow from the root system.
Remove side branches that are growing beyond the size that you desire for your crepe myrtle.
Remove all branches that are crossing or rubbing together.
Remember to cut back to the larger branches of the bush. Make sure your tools are sharp and in good working order so that the cuts are smooth. Avoid tearing the bark to prevent damage to the bush.
Tips & Warnings
Trim your crepe myrtle in late winter. There are no leaves or foliage on your bush at this time so you can better see what you are doing. Crepe myrtle flowers on new growth, so pruning at this time will not interfere with flowering.
Avoid committing crepe murder: pruning your crepe myrtle so that all that is left are several stem stumps protruding up through the ground. Trimming your bush so that a bird can easily move through the limbs, and so sun and rain can filter through, is the goal.
