They are available in dwarf and semi-dwarf compact, shrub sizes (five to 10 feet) as well as small, medium, and large tree selections. The large variety of colors and sizes provides many options to select the right size plant for a certain space. 

Their peeling bark, fall color, and the grace of their natural form are other prized characteristics. Crape myrtle is typically a low-maintenance plant and is as tough as it is beautiful. Established crape myrtles will tolerate drought.

Many gardeners and landscapers believe “topping” is required to promote flowering. According to Purdue agricultural extension service, topping is “the reduction of tree size by heading back many or most large, live branches without regard for tree health or structural integrity.” Some top because the plant is too large for the space provided, while others see their neighbors doing it and feel they need to do it as well. Chopping off the tops is aptly named “Crape Murder” due to the murderous effect on the plant’s appearance resulting from the severe nature of the pruning. Topping is the high crime of horticulture — the senseless, annual chopping back of beautiful crape myrtles.

If your crape myrtle has outgrown the space, please do not resort to chopping off the tops. Topping is an inappropriate means of reducing the height of a tree. These cuts destroy the tree’s architecture and will likely lead to the entrance of decay-causing organisms. Decay can then lead to stem failure. Crape myrtles develop their natural style without whacking off their tops. Topping results in whip-like shoots sprouting from the end of each ugly stump. These whips are too weak to hold up the flowers, so the branches often bend to the ground. 

Full sized, tree form crape myrtles can be magnificent and do not need to be pruned or should be lightly pruned. If your crape myrtle appears to have too many trunks to develop a tall tree shape, remove all but three to five of the strongest trunks at ground level. As these trunks mature, remove lower lateral branches up to one-third or halfway up the height of the plant. Remove branches that are crossing or rubbing against each other, shoots growing into the center of the canopy, or branches that grow inward (toward the trunk instead of upward and outward). Always remove any future growth from the roots or lower trunk (suckers/basal sprouting) to retain the desired tree shape. This is called “pollarding” and is done yearly with a hand pruner. Like most trees, this should be done in the winter, when the tree is dormant. Removal of seed pods or snipping the ends of branches can make for a neater appearance and can be done without harming the tree. 

For trees that are just the right height or shorter, simply prune off the old flower heads and seedpods, if within reach, in winter or early spring before growth begins. If the tree was perfect last year but the past summer’s growth made the plant too tall, remove just that growth. If the seedpods and flower heads are not within reach, they will drop, the plant will bloom, and the natural grace of the tree will be retained.

Crape myrtle will produce plenty of flowers without any pruning. Flowering is produced on new growth. On smaller plants, encourage a second bloom in summer by pruning flowers immediately after they fade. 

The best way to maintain a crape myrtle at a certain size is to plant an appropriate cultivar that will grow to the mature height and spread desired. Corrective pruning should be done to remove damaged or dead branches when a problem is detected. Otherwise, prune while the plant is dormant (winter or early spring) to remove only lateral branches, small twigs, or branches in the center of the plant to open more space for sun and air movement. Always remove any suckers that have sprouted from the roots or lower trunk. 

Following these guidelines, your crape myrtle will provide many summers of incredible blooms for many years to come. And the tree police will not arrest you for crape murder!

Jessica Clark is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Journalism. After a 30-year career as a Public Information Specialist and photojournalist for several federal agencies, she retired to Georgetown, Del. She restored former Governor John Collins’ 1790s home on Collins Pond and is a Sussex County Master Gardener.