What if my crepe myrtle is too tall?

If your crape myrtle does become too tall for its location, you can prune the tree back to a more appropriate height- just don't make this a regular practice each year. It will take a little more time to prune correctly, but you will end up with a beautiful tree.

How do you reduce the height of a crepe myrtle?

Remove extraneous or interior branches that might cross between trunks or rub against each other, cut low branches to encourage vertical growth and prune unwanted new trunks to the ground. Eliminate any growth equal to or less than pencil width to prioritize nutrients to the main branches.

Can you shorten a crepe myrtle?

If heavy-pruning your too-tall crape is an annual ritual, transplant it, if possible, and replace it with a shorter variety. If it's only a bit too tall, prune the top branches back 2 feet to a side branch. But don't leave stubs.

Can you cut the top off a crepe myrtle?

If you need to prune your crapemyrtle tree or shrub, thinning branches to limb up the crapemyrtle is the correct method. Remove lower limbs that are thinner than a pencil diameter. While the plant is young, it is acceptable to prune the top of the branches. When it gets older, this is unacceptable.

What happens if you top a crepe myrtle?

Topping a crape myrtle destroys the natural balance and beauty of the tree. Improperly trimmed multi-trunk crape myrtles have weakend immune responses and cannot fight off disease and insects as well. As the topping continues, the crape myrtles can respond by growing more trunks, worsening the problem.

How do you prune a crepe myrtle that is too tall?

What month should crepe myrtles be cut back?

February is a good time to prune crape myrtles. It should be done before fresh growth appears in March. Its toughness makes crape myrtle a popular plant. They are fast-growing and highly adaptable.

What happens if you don't prune crepe myrtles?

Leaving it alone will result in a pretty raggedy-looking tree, and it won't grow as quickly either. The new growth will emerge on its own from the fresh cuts, and if you trim at just the right point, you'll encourage way more blooms to appear.

How do you shape a crape myrtle?

Selectively prune upper branches along each stem to shape a flowing, open canopy. Remove branches that cross one another or grow through the interior of the crown. As the crapemyrtle grows, continue to remove lower branches and any suckers that emerge from the base of the plant.

How tall will crepe myrtles grow?

Mature Size. The common crapemyrtle grows to a height of 15–25' and a spread of 6–15' at maturity.

Can I trim crepe myrtle in summer?

Pruning crepe myrtles in summer is not the optimal time of year to trim your trees, unless you wait until after they bloom. Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) signal the beginning of summer with a profusion of colorful flower clusters.

Can you trim crepe myrtles with a chainsaw?

You must understand a Crepe Myrtle is a tree, not a shrub. Therefore, do not take a chainsaw and cut all limbs off shoulder high. This is not the correct way to prune a Crepe Myrtle. Treat the plant as a tree.

What is the difference between a crepe myrtle bush and a crepe myrtle tree?

Crape Myrtle Bush Vs.

The difference between the crape myrtle bush and the crape myrtle tree is that the tree is taller than crape myrtle bush. Crape myrtle bushes have multiple stems and their height is between 2 and 15 ft. (0.6 – 4.5 m). Crape myrtle trees can be as much as 20 ft.

Do crape myrtle trees have invasive roots?

Crepe myrtle trees are lovely, delicate trees offering bright, spectacular flowers in the summer and beautiful fall color when the weather begins to chill. But are crepe myrtle roots invasive enough to cause problems? You don't have to worry about this issue because crepe myrtle tree roots are not invasive.

What is the tallest crepe myrtle?

The tree with a height of 34 meters and a girth of 1.9 meters is the tallest and largest crape myrtle species in the world, hailed as the Lord Crape Myrtle. As a survivor of the Tertiary Period, the tree is considered as a living fossil and is currently under the state protection.

Should crepe myrtles be trimmed every year?

Also, crepe myrtles need minimal pruning. Some gardeners top them annually, but this ruins their natural shape and beauty. Remove the sucker growth that sometimes appears around the base. Only prune to shape trees or to take out any cross branching.

What can you plant at the bottom of a crepe myrtle?

Creeping lilyturf is a popular option for planting beneath a crepe myrtle tree as they're known for being beautiful and shallow-rooted. This plant produces dark green foliage and cone-shaped flowers in purple and white. These flowers can handle warm climates and drought.

How do you keep crepe myrtles blooming?

Crape myrtles require eight hours of direct sun daily to bloom well. Crape myrtles planted in areas that receive less than six hours of direct sun do not get enough sunlight for adequate bloom development. – Variety. Some varieties don't flower as vigorously as others.

What month do crepe myrtles bloom?

Blooms then follow around the end of May or early June. Expect leaves about a month after the last frost as a rule of thumb. Furthermore, allow about two months after this for flowers to develop. For example, in zone 8, the latest frost date is March 28th.

Can you plant crepe myrtle close to House?

Tip. You can plant crape myrtle near the foundation as they have non-invasive roots, according to Dayton Nursery. However, be sure to plant them far enough away from the foundation and the building so the shrub can grow to its full size without being blocked by the building.

How long do crape myrtles live?

Lifespan of Crepe Myrtle

Crepe myrtles live quite a few years if you take care of them. A crepe myrtle lifespan can exceed 50 years. So that's the answer to the question “how long do crepe myrtle trees live?” They can live a good, long time with suitable care.

Can crepe myrtle roots damage pipes?

Can Crepe Myrtle Roots Damage Pipes? Because of their non-invasive nature, crepe myrtle roots are one of the better choices as a "sewer-friendly" plant. While any root can potentially clog already damaged sewer lines, crepe myrtles are unlikely to do much damage.

How many trunks should a crape myrtle have?

For most crape myrtles, choose three, five, or—at most—seven main trunks. An odd number of trunks is more pleasing to the eye than an even number, which often looks like soldiers in formation. Keep trunks that have ample space to grow and are growing straight and strong.

Do crepe myrtles bloom twice?

At every cut, two or more new bloom heads filled with the buds for clusters of tiny flowers will emerge within just a few days. They will be just as large and full as the ones produced by the first bloom cycle of the season. Remember, when cutting off the bloom heads, you are pruning your crepe myrtle trees.