To prune, or not to prune: The crape myrtle conundrum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brookhaven, GA, Feb. 16, 2018 – Brookhaven residents love their trees, especially the prolific crape myrtle.  With springtime right around the corner, many crape myrtle owners begin to wonder whether they should aggressively prune, or let it grow au naturale.

Brookhaven City Arborist Steven Strickland says there are a number of circumstances to consider.

“Any decision should take into account the health and location of the tree, and whether letting it grow will cause problems down the road,” said Strickland.

Strickland says there are five conditions that indicate when a crape myrtle should be pruned:

1. HEALTH.  When the tree has dead or diseased branches.
2. SAFETY.  When the growth of branches and limbs present a safety hazard, such as growing under a power line, or into a roadway.
3. FORM.  When the tree has crossing branches, suckers, or excessive trunks, or when the tree does not have desired shape or aesthetic.
4. GROWTH. When the tree is outgrowing its space.
5. PREVIOUSLY TOPPED. When a crape myrtle has been topped, it needs to be maintained in the same fashion.  Otherwise, the new growth will eventually outweigh the old growth, causing branches to snap below the prune cut.

On the other hand, there is no reason to aggressively prune a crape myrtle, if the tree is healthy and not causing any issues.

“Crape myrtles are beautiful trees.  They do not require any pruning to encourage summer blossoms, and can grow to be tall, prolific showpieces for any landscape,” said Strickland. “However, with any tree, some light corrective pruning may be in order.”

Topping crape myrtles often means removing all a tree’s branches, making it more difficult for the tree to recover.  Aggressive pruning can lead to increased maintenance costs, and opens trees up to disease and decay.  Topping trees also promotes sucker and shoot growth over normal branch development. These shoots are weakly attached and can make the tree unsafe

To ensure a robust and healthy tree, the following tips are encouraged:

1. Always remove broken and dead limbs.
2. Always using sterilized pruning shears to prevent the transmission of diseases between trees.  Remove sucker growth from the base.
3. To develop a healthy crape myrtle tree shape, remove all but three to five of the strongest trunks at ground level.
4. Remove any branches that are crossing or rubbing against each other. Remove shoots growing into the center of the tree’s canopy.
5. Prune to desired shape in upper branches, leaving three to five of the thick, well-­‐attached and outward-­‐growing shoots. Avoid lion’s tails.
6. For maturing tree, remove lower branches as needed as the tree grows taller. To maintain a manageable height, prune moderately by removing twiggy growth back to the underside of the canopy.

“There is no hard and fast rule on pruning.  Landscaping enthusiasts should look at the big picture and consider all circumstances before deciding on a strategy for pruning,” said Strickland.”

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Media Contact:
Burke Brennan
Director of Communications
404-637-0709
Burke.Brennan@BrookhavenGA.gov