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 […] ...

This fast-growing (up to 5 feet per year) woody plant flowers all summer long, making crape myrtle a popular garden favorite. “Specimen trees can be great for shade in the summer,” says Tracy Harrison ...

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 ...

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 ...