Tall Crepe Myrtles

Question

We bought an older home with five large crepe myrtles in a line, maybe six feet apart. The trunk base is over a foot across and the tallest ones are about as tall as a telephone pole. They have never been pruned, and last season I tried to thin them out. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions, most of the limbs that one would normally prune are 15 to 20 feet in the air. If I get on a painter’s ladder, I am still looking at trunk limbs 2 to 3 inches in diameter. The trees have grown up and not out, and I would like to bring the bushes back to an easier pruning distance. If I do a severe cut back, say eight foot off the ground, will I commit crepe murder? Most landscapers around here just top them off, but I would like an alternative.

Answer 1

They will most likely be fine. Crepe myrtles can take very severe pruning and recover just fine. But, with pruning that severe, it may take a few years before the tree looks normal again.