Why do people do this to their trees? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

PhoenixAcres · 01-05-2017, 04:46 PM

I've seen this practice done to everything from Live oaks to Bradford pears, but nothing as severe and widespread as with Crepe myrtles.

Some might call it severe pruning but I call it butchering. The sad thing is it's become a yearly ritual around the South to remove over half the tree every winter. There are several articles online which refer to the Crepe myrtle mutilation as "Crepe murder" and that's not far from the truth, considering the damage it does to the trees.

I genuinely don't know why people do this to Crepe myrtles. It doesn't improve the health of the tree, it stunts the growth, it leaves scars, etc. And yet driving around this time of year you'll see this horrifying sight all over the place in the Southern US. All this for a tree which, if left alone, is one of the most beautifully-shaped flowering trees in the world.

I'd guess most people who do this don't realize the extent of the consequences, or don't know what they're missing by cutting the tree back so much.

MISST3 · 01-05-2017, 04:59 PM

True, I think people are misinformed about the pruning of the crepe myrtles.
It probably needs to be addressed at your next local City Council meeting.

01-05-2017, 04:46 PM	#1
PhoenixAcres Member Moderator Forum Veteran Join Date: Jul 26, 2016 Location: United States Posts: 6,824	Why do people do this to their trees? I've seen this practice done to everything from Live oaks to Bradford pears, but nothing as severe and widespread as with Crepe myrtles. Some might call it severe pruning but I call it butchering. The sad thing is it's become a yearly ritual around the South to remove over half the tree every winter. There are several articles online which refer to the Crepe myrtle mutilation as "Crepe murder" and that's not far from the truth, considering the damage it does to the trees. I genuinely don't know why people do this to Crepe myrtles. It doesn't improve the health of the tree, it stunts the growth, it leaves scars, etc. And yet driving around this time of year you'll see this horrifying sight all over the place in the Southern US. All this for a tree which, if left alone, is one of the most beautifully-shaped flowering trees in the world. I'd guess most people who do this don't realize the extent of the consequences, or don't know what they're missing by cutting the tree back so much.
	Last edited by PhoenixAcres; 11-11-2017 at 12:46 PM.

01-05-2017, 04:59 PM	#2
MISST3 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jan 17, 2016 Posts: 32,762	True, I think people are misinformed about the pruning of the crepe myrtles. It probably needs to be addressed at your next local City Council meeting.