Those knobby, chopped-off crape myrtles lining so many central Mississippi driveways aren't a pruning style. They're damage that weakens the tree for years.
Topping a crape myrtle, often known as crape murder, forces out a cluster of thin, whip-like shoots at every cut. Those shoots are weakly attached, flop over under the weight of blooms, and invite disease at the swollen knuckles that form over time.
Proper pruning is much lighter. Remove dead wood, crossing branches, and suckers at the base, then thin crowded interior stems so air and light move through the canopy. The best window is late winter before spring growth starts, so fall is the time to plan rather than cut.
Barone's crews prune crape myrtles, ornamentals, and shade trees across Rankin, Madison, and Hinds Counties with the tree's long-term health in mind, not just a quick trim.
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Side-by-side photos: a topped crape myrtle with knuckled stubs next to a properly pruned crape myrtle with a natural, open multi-trunk form. Real photos from Barone's jobs in the service area are strongly preferred over stock.
Canva text suggestion: "Stop Crape Murder: Prune the Right Way" or "Healthy Crape Myrtles Start With Lighter Cuts"