When you close your eyes and think of a Southern summer garden, the first image may be an ancient live oak with low, sweeping branches, but the second image is puffs of sunset sky-colored crepe myrtle blooms filling the trees. My crepe myrtle trees are a treasured part of my garden for their blooms, autumn color, and bark that add winter interest. Thankfully, I’ve never committed “crepe murder,” so my trees have maintained their lovely shape. Let’s talk about the best time to prune a crepe myrtle to keep it healthy, filled with blooms, and properly shaped.

Ideal Pruning Time for Crepe Myrtles

It’s important to know that crepe myrtles bloom on new growth. So, it’s not a good idea to prune in the fall or early winter when an unseasonably warm spell could stimulate new growth that will be killed when temperatures drop. Pruning too soon can leave the tree vulnerable to winter damage. The ideal time to prune a crepe myrtle is February or March before the tree shows significant new growth.

Pruning in Early Spring

Pruning before the Spring Equinox will stimulate new growth as temperatures begin to rise. Since I prefer to keep a natural shape with strong branches my grandson can climb to sit among the clouds of bright blooms, I take a survey of the shape, remove any branches that are broken, and wait for the leaves and flower clusters to appear. I do a light pruning rather than giving the trees a severe topping and my trees have never failed to put on a colorful show of blossoms.

Pruning After Early Spring

If you get busy and miss the best window for pruning a crepe myrtle and new growth has started, you can still prune the tree, but be prepared for a later bloom time and fewer blooms. I advise skipping pruning for one year and waiting until next February unless the tree is about to take over your house. My crepe myrtles are well-established, so I walk around each one after it starts leafing out to see if I missed any dead wood and remove it in late March or early April.

General Pruning Guidelines

Crepe myrtles are a low-maintenance plant that typically produces beautiful flowers with only light and pruning. Pruning is only necessary to help shape the tree and control its size if planted in a confined space. Chopping off the top of the tree every year will not produce more blooms. Instead, do some light pruning every year while branches are no thicker than a pencil. Follow these steps for pruning to maintain a healthy tree.

1. Use sharp tools (hand clippers, loppers, or pruning saws) to make clean, smooth cuts. Use rubbing alcohol to disinfect the blades to prevent the spread of bacterial diseases.
2. Start at the bottom of the tree and reduce the number of trunks. A crepe myrtle is a multi-trunked tree but it should not have more than three to five main trunks.
3. Remove any lower, lateral branches by making cuts close to the trunk to keep the tree-form. Clip away suckers or small sprouts that are growing from the base of the tree. Remove branches that are crossing or rubbing against each other and any dead wood.
4. To control the height of the crepe myrtle, cut back the tallest and most wide-spreading branches at the point where they join another branch. This method is called reduction pruning and is infinitely preferable to topping because it preserves the shape of the tree.

Common Concerns

Even easy-care plants can have some issues. Keep an eye on your crepe myrtles so you can address any concerns.

• Poor Blooming: The tree isn’t mature enough to bloom, it may not get enough sun, or it was pruned too late in the spring.
• Spotted or Dropping Leaves: Sooty mold, powdery mildew, or a fungus called Cercospora leaf spot can cause crepe myrtle leaves to look bad or drop. Even though these diseases can make the leaves look bad, they won’t kill the tree or prevent blooming. Use a recommended treatment and rake up all of the fallen leaves, bag them, and dispose of them to help prevent the spread of the disease.
• Dead or Dormant?: If everyone else’s crepes are putting out leaves and yours isn’t, you can quickly determine whether you have a late dormancy variety or if your tree is dead. Use a garden trowel to scratch the trunk near the soil line. If you see a hint of green, your tree is alive, just slow to leaf out. No green, it’s time to remove the tree.

Crepe myrtles are gracious, forgiving trees that will continue to provide beauty in your garden if you make a pruning mistake. Even if you’ve pruned at the wrong time or given your crepe myrtle a very ugly haircut, you can fix the problem with enough time and patience.