Why This Question Blows Up Every February in Houston
Every February in Houston, it happens like clockwork.
You’re driving through your neighborhood and suddenly notice it: crepe myrtles everywhere that look like they’ve been attacked with a chainsaw. Thick trunks topped flat.
Stubby limbs sticking up like antlers. Trees that were once elegant and airy now look…butchered.
And you start wondering:
Is that what I’m supposed to do to mine?
Is that how you trim crepe myrtles?
This is exactly when searches for when to trim crepe myrtles and when to trim crepe myrtles in Houston spike every year. Because homeowners see the same thing, ask the same questions, and, unfortunately, often repeat the same mistake.
That mistake has a name in the horticulture world: crepe murder (sometimes called crepe myrtle murder).
The goal of this guide is simple: explain when to trim crepe myrtles, what crepe murder actually is, and how to prune your trees the right way so they stay beautiful, healthy, and full of blooms for years.
When to Trim Crepe Myrtles (The Timing Most People Get Wrong)
If you ask ten neighbors when to trim crepe myrtles, you’ll probably get ten different answers. Fall. January. After they bloom. Whenever you feel like it.
The truth is much more specific.
The best time to prune crepe myrtles is during their dormant season, which is late winter before new growth begins. For most of the country, that’s January through early March.
For Houston, timing matters even more.
Because our winters are mild and spring arrives early, crepe myrtles begin waking up sooner than many homeowners realize. That means the window for ideal pruning is typically late January through February. By early March, many trees are already pushing new growth.
This is why you see so much pruning activity in February. People know it’s the right general timeframe. What they often don’t know is how to do it correctly.
So yes — late winter is the best time to prune crepe myrtles. And if you’re wondering when to trim crepe myrtles in Houston specifically, February is prime time.
But timing alone doesn’t protect your trees. Technique is everything.
What Is “Crepe Murder”?
If you’ve never heard the term before, it sounds dramatic.
But once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
Crepe murder refers to the practice of cutting the top of the tree straight across, removing most of the upper canopy, and leaving thick, blunt stubs where graceful branches used to be.
This is also called “topping,” and it’s the single biggest mistake people make when pruning crepe myrtles.
So what is crepe murder, really?
It’s when someone mistakes “cutting back” for “proper pruning.”
Homeowners often think they’re doing the right thing. They believe:
- It will control the height
- It will make the tree bloom more
- It will keep the tree tidy
- “That’s what everyone does.”
Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from proper pruning practices.
Crepe myrtle murder isn’t helpful. It’s harmful. And the damage lasts for years.
Why “Crepe Murder” Is Bad for Your Trees
At first, a topped crepe myrtle might look clean and controlled. But give it one growing season, and the problems start showing.
Weak Branch Structure
When you cut a major limb flat across, the tree responds by sending out multiple fast-growing shoots from that cut point. These shoots grow quickly but are weakly attached, making them prone to breaking in storms or high winds.
Ugly Knuckles
Each year the tree is topped again, it forms swollen, knobby growths at the cut points. Over time, these “knuckles” become permanent disfigurements that never go away.
Fewer, Poorer Blooms
Crepe myrtles bloom on new growth, but the chaotic shoots that form after crepe murder produce smaller, weaker blooms compared to a properly pruned tree with balanced structure.
Increased Disease Risk
Large, improper cuts create open wounds. In Houston’s humid climate, this invites fungal growth and decay in the main trunk.
Long-Term Damage
The more years a tree is topped, the more structurally compromised it becomes. What started as a beautiful ornamental tree turns into a maintenance headache.
This is why crepe murder is such a widely used term in the horticulture community. It perfectly describes what happens to the tree over time.
The Right Way: Proper Pruning Crepe Myrtle Trees
Proper pruning crepe myrtle trees is much more subtle than most people think.
It’s not about hacking. It’s about shaping.
The goal is to enhance the natural form of the tree, not fight against it.
Here’s what proper pruning looks like:
Remove Crossing Branches
Branches that rub against each other create wounds and weak spots. These should be selectively removed.
Open the Canopy
Crepe myrtles benefit from airflow and sunlight through the center. Thinning out dense interior growth helps prevent disease and improves bloom quality.
Remove Suckers
Small shoots that grow from the base or along the trunk should be removed to maintain a clean structure.
Light Shaping, Not Topping
Selective cuts are made back to natural branch joints, never straight across the top. The tree keeps its height and graceful shape.
When done correctly, pruning crepe myrtle trees is almost invisible. The tree looks the same — just cleaner, healthier, and better structured.
And again, the best time to prune crepe myrtles for this type of work is late winter before new growth begins.
Why This Matters More for Crepe Myrtles in Houston
In other parts of the country, improper pruning might just be an eyesore.
In Houston, it can turn into a health issue for the tree.
Our humidity creates heavy fungal pressure. Dense canopies without airflow are breeding grounds for mildew and disease. Fast growth due to our long growing season makes weak shoots grow even faster and break more easily.
This is why understanding when to trim crepe myrtles in Houston — and how to do it properly — is more important here than in many other regions.
Proper pruning isn’t just about appearance. It’s about disease prevention, structural strength, and long-term tree health in our specific climate.
Can You Fix a Crepe Myrtle That’s Been Murdered?
This is another common search: can a tree recover from crepe murder?
The answer is yes… but it takes patience.
You cannot fix it in one season.
Corrective pruning crepe myrtle trees after years of topping involves slowly retraining the structure over multiple years:
- Selecting the strongest shoots to keep
- Removing excess weak growth
- Gradually restoring natural form
Each year, the tree improves a little more. But the knuckles and scars never fully disappear.
That’s why avoiding crepe murder in the first place is so important.
Don’t Want to Risk It? This Is Why Homeowners Search “Tree and Shrub Pruning Near Me”
By now, you can probably see why this is harder than it looks.
One wrong cut doesn’t just affect this year’s blooms. It affects the tree for the next decade.
This is why so many homeowners end up searching for tree and shrub pruning near me every February. They’ve seen what happens when it’s done wrong — or they’ve inherited a tree that’s already been topped for years.
Professionals understand how to shape crepe myrtles without harming them, how to improve airflow without disfiguring the tree, and how to prune in a way that supports long-term growth.
Conclusion: Healthy Crepe Myrtles Start With Proper Pruning
If you remember nothing else, remember this:
- The best time to trim crepe myrtles is late winter
- When to trim crepe myrtles in Houston is typically February
- Crepe murder is topping the tree — and it causes lasting damage
- Proper pruning crepe myrtle trees improves blooms, structure, and health
A correctly pruned crepe myrtle is one of the most beautiful trees you can have in your landscape. A topped one is a constant problem.
If you’d rather not risk it — or if you’re trying to undo years of improper cuts — GreenGate Turf & Pest offers professional tree and shrub pruning designed specifically for Houston landscapes.
Let our team shape your crepe myrtles the right way, at the right time, so they stay healthy, elegant, and full of blooms for years to come.
Contact us today to schedule your tree and shrub pruning service with GreenGate and avoid crepe murder for good.