Crepe myrtles, Lagerstroemia indica, vary in size from dwarf shrubs to multi-trunked and single-trunk trees growing to 30 feet tall. Most varieties produce beautiful blooms starting in spring or ...

Too often, crape myrtles are cut back to bare trunks because this abuse will yield more flowers. This type of severe pruning results in a shorter bloom time, delayed flowering, weaker branching and ...

Over the past couple of weeks, fellow gardeners have asked that I explain how to prune crepe myrtles, as I often complain (to anyone that will listen) about neighbors following neighbors' poor pruning ...

When you have a small yard, you might think trees are out of the question, but there are many smaller, fast-growing trees that will bring color, height, and texture to your outdoor space. One such ...

In the picture above, it's obvious that something has gone wrong. When you drive past a heavily pruned crepe myrtle tree (occasionally spelled "crape myrtle") your impression might be that someone ...

Q: Why are the trunks of my crape myrtles turning black? They look rather unsightly. Mine aren't the only ones doing this -- many in our neighborhood look the same. Is it a disease? Is it going to ...

Years of improper pruning have taken their toll on this crape myrtle tree. (Alan Windham, University of Tennessee) QUESTION: While visiting a local mall, I noticed the crape myrtles had all been cut ...

Q: I pulled out my old, bent crepe myrtle and bought a new one from a grower. It’s still small, but I noticed the trunk is already curving. Is this going to be a problem like the old one? Is there ...

Although native to eastern Asia, crape myrtles are indispensable in the Southern landscape. Its vibrantly colored flowers in shades of pink, purple, red and white from May to September virtually ...

DEAR NEIL: I have a crape myrtle plant that must have been killed back to the ground before I bought the house. There are a dozen or more trunks, and I’d like to get it back to being a tree. How do I ...

My daughter has several crape myrtles in her yard. Some of them have started to lose the bark on their trunks, and there is an orange residue where the bark has fallen off. Is this something to be ...