Crape Myrtle Pruning in Florida: When to Prune and How to Avoid "Crape Murder"

Drive through any Orlando neighborhood in February and you'll see crape myrtles chopped back to the same stubby height as last year. It's so common people assume it's required. It isn't, and it's the main reason so many crape myrtles end up with knobby "knuckles" and thin branches that flop over when they bloom. Here's how to prune them the right way.

When to prune crape myrtles in Central Florida

Late winter, roughly January through February, is the best time. The tree is dormant, you can see its structure without leaves, and new growth hasn't started. Crape myrtles bloom on the new wood they grow in spring, so pruning in late winter doesn't cost you any flowers. Avoid heavy pruning in late summer and fall, which pushes tender new growth right before the cooler months.

What "crape murder" does to the tree

Topping means cutting every branch back to the same height, usually at the same spot each year. The tree answers with a cluster of fast, skinny shoots from each cut. Those shoots are weakly attached and too thin to hold the flower clusters, so they droop, and the cut points swell into knuckles that get bigger every year. You lose the tree's natural shape and its smooth, peeling bark, and you sign up for the same job every winter.

How to prune a crape myrtle the right way

• Remove suckers growing from the base and the roots.
• Take out dead branches, and branches that cross, rub, or grow back toward the center.
• Thin out small, twiggy growth inside the canopy so light and air can get through.
• Lift low limbs that block walkways, driveways, or windows.
• Cut back to a side branch or to the trunk, never to a random point mid-branch.
• Clip off old seed pods within easy reach if you like the look, but it isn't necessary for blooming.

If a crape myrtle is simply too big for its spot, topping won't fix that. Choosing a dwarf or semi-dwarf variety for small spaces, or moving the tree, works far better than cutting it down every year.

Fixing a crape myrtle that's already been topped

A topped crape myrtle can usually be brought back over two or three seasons. At each knuckle, keep two or three of the strongest, best-placed shoots and remove the rest. Over time those shoots become real branches. On badly knuckled trees, a cleaner option is to cut the trunks back below the knuckles in late winter and train the new shoots that come up. It takes patience, but the tree gets its shape back.

Common crape myrtle problems in Florida

• Black, sooty leaves: sooty mold growing on the sticky honeydew from aphids. Controlling the aphids clears it up.
• White powder on leaves: powdery mildew, most common in shade and humid weather. Better airflow from thinning helps.
• Peeling bark: normal. Crape myrtles shed their outer bark to show the smooth, colorful layer underneath.