Not long ago, I received the following email: “I have two crape myrtle trees in my front yard, one about 25 years old and one about 10 years old. They are in full sun. They usually bloom later than ...

Prune crape myrtles in late winter to encourage strong new growth and flower production. Avoid pruning in spring, summer, or fall to prevent cutting off new flowers and stressing the tree. Never top ...

By Amy-Lynn Albertson N.C. Cooperative Extension Picture this: a once-graceful crape myrtle, reduced to sad, bare stumps each winter — a practice known as “crape murder.” Many believe this drastic […] ...

The term “crape murder” describes the practice of drastically cutting back a crape myrtle, often removing large limbs or even the entire upper canopy.

I usually wait until mid-January to write something on this topic but this week I saw my first severe pruning of a crape myrtle for this dormant season earlier this month. So, instead of visions of ...

Somehow, the belief that crape myrtles should be brutally pruned by cutting off their tops persists, even though it's inaccurate. Crape murder is a term that has been coined to describe this severe ...

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 ...

A: That’s horrible behavior on a prior landowner or trash dumper. As to your question, I think you may be going down a couple of wrong streets. “Seeds” would imply an annual vine. I’d think you’d want ...

Dear Neil: I recently bought a house in rural East Texas. It’s on 2.5 acres of heavily forested land. I didn’t walk the entire area before the closing, and only recently have I discovered that I ...