I bought a Crape Myrtle last year and of course, don't know the name. It's growing, about 3 feet tall with mahogany red leaves and many stems. I don't know if I should prune to 3 or 4 stems or let it grow as is. It hasn't bloomed yet, so I can't ID it from the blossoms. Sound familiar to anybody? Gardengater
The common Crepe Myrtle planted all over the southern U.S. is the Lagerstroemia indica and then there are approximately 50 cultivars. Check out the descriptions here to see which yours might be. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/cons ... table.html Pruning them is a major bone of contention around here and other places too. Landscapers will tell you that you have to prune off all the small limbs leaving only a few good sized trunks and flatten the top of the tree each fall.....arborists and other gardeners will tell you that is called crepe-murder and is totally unneeded. It just depends on whether you want a smallish decorative tree or a 20-30 foot ball of beautiful blooms. Just remember that it only blooms on new growth, that is one reason why some strip them naked in the fall to keep the amount of blooms under strict control. We have two out front and one out back that we never trim other than to keep them from hanging over the street or sidewalk. They are beginning to bloom and in a few days will be huge mounds of pink and dark pink blooms. I prefer them that way. There is still a chance yours will bloom this year since the hottest part of summer hasn't hit yet and that's when they are at the peak. If you do any trimming now you will get a few leaves but no blooms.
Thanks for this link, Toni. I opt for blooms too. I'll prune only small weak stems. There are 2 or 3 it could be but will wait to see the blooms. This is a great site. Gardengater
