Sebastian County Home & Garden
Trees
All About Crepemyrtles
Here are some facts about crepemyrtles to dispel some common myths regarding
their care and selection.
This is what you want, right?
Myth: Crepemyrtles need to be cut back every year to
flower their best.
Fact: Nothing could be farther from the truth. Crepemyrtles, like most
plants, should not be topped. It ruins the form of a naturally graceful plant.
This is not how to prune crepemyrtles.
Myth: Crepemyrtles need pruning in fall.
Fact: Like the vast majority of plants, you should avoid
pruning in the fall. It can induce winter injury and leave an unsealed wound
exposed for the maximum time.
How to prune a crepemyrtle:
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This plant sends up suckers. Select an odd number: 5, 7, or
9 trunks look best. Remove all others at the ground. Pick ones that are not
rubbing together and that form a nice base.
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Remove any branches that are rubbing against each other.
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If your variety gets too tall, remove 1/5 of the trunks to
the ground. Select an equal number of suckers to replace them and remove the
rest. Do this each year, and in 5 years, you will have a smaller specimen.
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Never arbitrarily cut back the limbs to a set height. It is
ugly and physiologically harms the plant. This is one deciduous plant that
looks good in the winter. Do you really want to look at bare knuckles in
your yard all winter?
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You don’t need to remove the little berries unless you
really don’t like them. If you must remove them, just snip them off –
nothing too severe.
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Remember that plants don’t always behave well. Just do your
best and don’t be a control freak.
How to save a badly topped or badly pruned crepemyrtle:
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If you are currently looking at “bare knuckles” from a plant
that has been cut back to its main trunks, select one or two of the newest
outside branches on each trunk and remove the rest. You’re now on the road
to recovery.
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If it has been hacked indiscriminately, you have 3 options:
a. Try to correct the growth by thinning out crossing
branches and opening up the canopy. Try to select branches heading outward.
b. Cut the whole thing to the ground and start over. This
isn’t great for the plant, but you won’t kill it either. Select 5, 7, or 9
trunks, depending on the vigor, and remove the rest.
c. Leave it alone. This will leave it looking a little wild
and messy. Thin out the canopy a bit in the winter.
Myth: They get so big unless I top them!
Fact: Many can get huge, but if you select the right
variety, you won’t have to butcher them annually. In our area, many of the
varieties that say “dwarf” are in fact medium height, which means that they will
get to be about 16 feet tall! Read the label carefully or ask your nurseryman.
True dwarf varieties stay under 6 feet tall. If you really want a small one, ask
for “Chickasaw,” which grows only 2 feet tall.
Here are some other interesting facts about our favorite
abused landscape plant:
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In the wild, crepemyrtles are TREES! Therefore picking the
right variety is important in shaping your landscape. UACES has an extensive
database of crepemyrtle varieties and their sizes. Also look at the tag when
you buy a crepemyrtle. The tag will tell you how tall they get. Believe
them. Varieties range from 2 feet to 45 feet. Life is easier when you get
the right kind.
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You can keep your crepemyrtles flowering until frost by
clipping off the flower clusters (deadheading) as soon as they turn brown.
This works because crepemyrtles flower on current year’s wood.
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The term coined for the practice of topping crepemyrtles is
“Crepe Murder,” but I’ve also heard “Crepe Rape.”
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Crepemyrtles need full sun. If you plant them in the shade,
expect to get a lot of powdery mildew on them. Spraying for control doesn’t
make much sense and is costly. Try to improve light levels and airflow.
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On rare occasions (it’s been many years since the last time)
crepemyrtles can get severe winter damage. Damage varies by the
crepemyrtle’s variety, but it only kills the top portion of the plant. The
very old pink variety found at older Fort Smith homes seems more susceptible
to this than others.
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The variety “Dynamite” was an Arkansas Select plant and is
highly recommended for a large specimen or screen.
This is a “Dynamite” crepemyrtle in its first season of
growth at the Fort Smith Convention Center. This variety gets large and
will be used as a screen.
Dustin Blakey, Sebastian County Extension Agent – Agriculture
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