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Crepe Myrtle

Can You Trim Crepe Myrtles in the Fall? (Expert Guide for Proper Timing)

Faisal Mustafa

Jun 15, 2025

Crepe Myrtles are a beautiful ornamental plant that can enhance the beauty of your yard or garden. When it comes to caring for the plants and trees, you must think about trimming. But you need to be careful with this, as over-trimming may not be good for your Crepe Myrtles. And, always look for the best time to trim so it grows gracefully.

As Crepe Myrtles finish blooming before the fall, you might plan to trim them in the fall. But you must be wondering if it’s good for your Crepe Myrtles. Let’s see if you can trim it in the fall or not.

Understanding Crepe Myrtle Growth Cycle

To effectively care for your Crepe Myrtle, especially for trimming, it’s really important to understand the growth cycle of Crepe Myrtle. Like many other temperate-zone plants, Crepe Myrtle has a certain seasonal phase that determines when they grows, rests, and blooms.

Let’s see the Crepe Myrtle’s natural growth cycle and how it will react to maintenance decisions like trimming.

Early Spring: Bud Break and New Growth

Between late February and April, when the chill of winter fades and daylight hours increase, Crepe Myrtles begin to awake. It depends on different climate zones, though; this phase is called bud break, which is a crucial event for any tree’s growth. It is a transitional time for the tree, as the tree is neither flowering and not dormant. So, you can trim it carefully in this phase. It is the best time for final trimming, removing branches, and thinning out crowded areas.

Late Spring to Midsummer: Flowering Season

Late spring starts from May to June; this season is considered the prime time for Crepe Myrtles, as the flowers begin to bloom during this time. In this season, large, vibrant flowers bloom in white, ruby red, deep purple, to hot pinks. If you trim at this time, there is a chance of losing flower buds that were ready to bloom or have already developed. Rather than trimming, you should water, fertilize, and monitor pests and diseases of the tree.

Late Summer to Early Fall: Seed Pod Formation and Slowing Growth

In August to early September, when the temperature begins to cool down after summer, Crepe Myrtle enters a phase of more subdued, preparatory stage. At this time, depending on the climate zone, seed pods start to grow. You should stop fertilizing at this time and focus on organic soil health, and keep watering. Avoid major trimming and remove seed pods if necessary. Let the tree grow slowly and naturally as leaves start to fall this season.

Late Fall to Winter: Dormancy

Late fall starts from late November to February, and the dormant phase of Crepe Myrtles starts at this time. It is a phase when the tree rests and restores to prepare for the next phase, where the flowers will bloom vibrantly. It is a good time to trim your Crepe Myrtle, as the tree is not actively growing, it will reduce stress from the cuts, and no risk of cutting any flower buds.

Is It Okay to Trim Crepe Myrtles in the Fall?

Trimming your Crepe Myrtles for safety and aesthetic purposes is okay at any season, but in the fall, it is discouraged by the experts. You can leave your Crepe Myrtle as it is without trimming at all, and it will grow and bloom nicely. It can even grow so large that trimming makes no sense sometimes. Still, if you want your Crepe Myrtles to be sharp and in shape, you can trim them by understanding their growth.

You can see that in early fall, seed pods of Crepe Myrtles start to grow, and it’s kind of the beginning phase of the flowering cycle. So, trimming at this stage is not so healthy for the seed pods.

Usually, a little trimming of a tree promotes the growth and helps the flowers bloom, and shapes the tree to grow in a nice form. If the trimming is for shaping the tree, you’d better do it in the dormant season. In the fall, the branches tend to be vulnerable, and trimming can weaken the tree. When you trim the tree in the fall, it may not heal the cuts till winter, and pests and diseases can attack at this time. But if a branch is already infected and deceased, cut it immediately before it spreads.

For a healthy and blooming Crepe Myrtle tree, wait until late winter to early spring to trim and shape the tree. If you perform trimming at the perfect time, your tree will grow healthy and structurally strong, and be appealing to see.

What Happens If You Trim Crepe Myrtles in the Fall?

Though we’ve cleared that it’s not healthy to trim your Crepe Myrtles in the fall. Still, if you’ve already performed trimming, what happens next? Let’s see:

Stimulated Growth Vulnerable

Trimming Crepe Myrtles in the fall can stimulate new growth. By the time new growth starts, winter comes, and due to the cold, the new growth doesn’t get any time to harden off, and gets damaged due to freezing. So, it removes the current year’s growth, which catalyzes winter damage.

Reduced Blooming Potential

Trimming Crepe Myrtles in the fall can reduce flower growth, which means fewer blooms on the branches. So, it loses its charm if you stop its natural blooming growth due to cuts and trimming. Better, schedule your trimming plan for the spring or late winter. It can interrupt the natural preparation of dormancy.

Increased Risk of Disease and Pests

Trimming Crepe Myrtles in the fall can open the path to pests and diseases. Because when you cut the branches in the fall, it won’t get the time to heal before winter, so the pests attack the cut and make the tree vulnerable. Even though the trimming encourages the growth, the fall trimming can’t enhance healthy growth; it makes the growing branches weak, which is not visually appealing at all.

Disruption of Natural Dormancy Cycle

Crepe Myrtle’s dormant period starts in the late fall, like many other deciduous trees. When you trim the tree at this time, the growth will delay the dormancy, and it will leave the tree vulnerable. So, interrupting this dormancy season can stress the tree and weaken its overall health.

Best Time to Trim Crepe Myrtles (Recommended by Experts)

According to many experts, the best time for you to trim Crepe Myrtles is late winter to early spring. It should be between January to February. This timing is best while keeping in consideration the tree’s dormant season, which allows the tree’s healthy growth and more blooms in the summer.

Late winter is an ideal time for trimming because trimming in the dormancy season can relieve the stress and allow the tree to grow healthier. And it reduces the risk of pest attack and infections.

At this time, when the leaves are mostly absent, the tree is mostly visible. You can trim the tree as you want, the structure. New flowers bloom on the freshly trimmed wood, and it promotes growth and flowering.

How to Trim Crepe Myrtles Safely (If You Must Do It in Fall)

Though trimming Crepe Myrtles is not a healthy option due to many reasons. But if you must trim for safety reasons and disease management, you should follow some guidelines so your tree stays safe and sound. Here is a guideline you can follow while planning the trimming –

Fix a suitable timing: If you can’t avoid the fall season to trim, try to schedule the trimming in the early fall. So, your tree will get more time to harden before winter.
Use the right tools: Ensure that your trimming tool is sharp for precise cuts and clean so that no infection attacks.
Make clean cuts: Make sure your cuts are clean, no stabs left behind on the tree, as these stabs are the entry point of pests and diseases.
Avoid heavy pruning: Don’t trim the large section of the tree entirely, as it will make your tree weak and it will interrupt the growth.
Post-trimming care: Water your tree adequately, and avoid fertilization because the new growth will not survive till the next summer.

Common Pruning Mistakes with Crepe Myrtles

It is true that pruning Crepe Myrtles promotes growth and enhances visual appeal. But pruning it wrong can risk your Crepe Myrtles’ health. Let’s discuss some of the common mistakes of pruning Crepe Myrtles :

Crepe Murder

Crepe murder is a term that refers to the improper pruning of Crepe Myrtles, especially when the top is cut drastically. It’s a common mistake some people make; they cut their trees shortening them into 3 or 4 feet. It interrupts Crepe Myrtles’ natural growth and can cause several problems, and reduce flower blooming.

Pruning at the wrong time

Another major mistake while growing Crepe Myrtles is pruning at the wrong time. You should not prune your Crepe Myrtles in the late spring or fall. Fall season pruning stimulates new growth and makes it vulnerable in the winter. And late spring pruning may delay flower blooming.

Over Pruning

Over-pruning or excessive removal of the branches can stress the tree and reduce its flowering. Only remove the dead, diseased, or crossing branches so your pruning does not lead to over-pruning.

Using Improper Tools

Improper tools and dull tools can cause jagged cuts that can take a longer time to heal. And it can increase the risk of diseases and infection.

Seasonal Care Tips for Crepe Myrtles

Crepe Myrtles are pretty low-maintenance trees; you can find beautiful blooms with very minimal care. Let’s see some seasonal care tips for Crepe Myrtles:

Spring

Spring is the best time for pruning, so this season’s care is to trim the tree, remove dead, damaged, and crossing branches. Apply fertilizer and don’t over-trim and cut severely, as it will weaken the tree.

Summer

In the summer, look out for the pests and water the plant regularly, especially at the base, to prevent mildew. To encourage a second flush of flowers, remove spent blooms.

Fall

Trimming or pruning in the fall is not beneficial for Crepe Myrtles. You’d better fertilize this season, try to avoid nitrogen-based fertilizer, clean up and dispose of fallen leaves and seed pods to minimize disease and pests.

Winter

To protect the root in the winter, add a thick layer of mulch after the ground freezes to protect the roots. Remove heavy snow if it accumulates on branches.

Final Thoughts

As a part of seasonal care, you might be interested in trimming your Crepe Myrtles in the fall. But as the expert says, it’s best to wait until late winter or early spring to trim the tree. Fall trimming can leave your tree weak and vulnerable, while spring trimming can promote healthy growth.

By following the seasonal growth cycle and maintaining the right time to trim, you can have a beautiful landscape of blooming flowers in your yard.

FAQs

Can Crepe Myrtles be pruned in the fall?

It’s not recommended by the experts as fall pruning makes your tree weak and vulnerable.

What happens if you cut back Crepe Myrtles too early?

If you cut back Crepe Myrtles too early, it can lead to several problems, like cold damage, weakness, decreased blooming, and unnatural growth.

Is it bad to prune Crepe Myrtles every year?

As long as you do it correctly, it’s not bad to prune Crepe Myrtles correctly. Annual pruning can promote growth and give you the desired shape you want.