Garden columnist Dan Gill answers readers' questions each week. To send a question, email Gill at gnogardening@agcenter.lsu.edu. My husband wants to plant crape myrtle trees on the side of the house.

My husband wants to plant crape myrtle trees on the side of the house. We live on a corner lot and this will be nice curb appeal with the proper up lighting. However, I see crape myrtles that grow to ...

Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia sp) are among the toughest and showiest plants for Texas landscapes. Introduced from China, crape myrtles have been grown in the U.S. since the American Revolution and ...

Question: Lots of shoots are growing from the base and among the limbs of a tree form crape myrtle. Can I remove these to allow yard work? Answer: Do the needed pruning to make your crape myrtle more ...

Prune crape myrtles in late winter to encourage strong new growth and flower production. Avoid pruning in spring, summer, or fall to prevent cutting off new flowers and stressing the tree. Never top ...

Question. We recently purchased a home and have two crape myrtles that bloomed profusely last year. When do you prune these plants, and how far back to do the trimming? Answer. Now is the time most ...

If you have a spot for a specimen shrub or tree, consider planting a crape myrtle. They are cold hardy, produce attractive flowers, and may also provide some free pest control. Since we are on the ...

You’ve probably seen crape myrtle trees pruned to look like a coat rack. Hopefully, you’re not guilty of doing this. The term “crape murder” was coined to describe this drastic topping of crape ...

I usually wait until mid-January to write something on this topic but this week I saw my first severe pruning of a crape myrtle for this dormant season earlier this month. So, instead of visions of ...

Though springtime in Lancaster County is greeted by a spectrum of blooming trees and shrubs, late-summer color can be hard to come by. Fortunately, in Lancaster County, we can grow crape myrtle, a ...