Although native to eastern Asia, crape myrtles are indispensable in the Southern landscape. Its vibrantly colored flowers in shades of pink, purple, red and white from May to September virtually ...

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 […] ...

Dear Neil: About three weeks ago our crape myrtles started dropping leaves. We’ve lived here 20 years and we’ve never seen them do this before. They were watered weekly. Any idea what the problem ...

A: First route I recommend is ensuring a positive diagnosis, whether that be from a county extension agent, master gardener, certified arborist or plant professional at a nursery, or from extensive ...

This improperly pruned crape myrtle tree has undergone “crape murder,” which is when the entire crown of the crape myrtle tree is cut off. Courtesy of Leaf & Limb, a Raleigh-based tree care company ...

Q My crape myrtle tree does not seem to be doing well this year. It only has leaves from certain limbs and has not leafed out as it has in the past. How do I address this? Cut off the limbs (down to ...

Garden columnist Dan Gill answers readers' questions each week. To send a question, email Gill at [email protected]. About a year ago, we redid our flowerbeds and added three crape myrtle trees.

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 ...

The term “crape murder” describes the practice of drastically cutting back a crape myrtle, often removing large limbs or even ...