One of my neighbors has a Crape Myrtle that is sending out small trees around the trunk of the main tree. I'm not sure if they're seedlings or just how a Crape Myrtle grows.
Is there any way to control/prevent the tree from doing this? It's taken over part of the yard and is growing out of control.

TIA!

Root suckers, probably, and that's how the tree does it. My response is to cut them off. Mowers will also work...

MorpheusPA wrote:Root suckers, probably, and that's how the tree does it. My response is to cut them off. Mowers will also work...

I told her the same thing. The tree in question is nearby a new drive that was just installed, any chance that there's more root suckers due to stress?

Absolutely. She just told the tree that there's a problem, so it's trying to send as many kids as possible. Some crepe myrtles throw tons of root suckers, some very few, but all of them multi-trunk if you let them. I try to keep mine to 3 main trunks, but it's really looking like 1 trunk is more than enough...

i have been wondering about this can u please help,How should I prune my crapemyrtle?

Hack at the base, but never top the tree (cut the top off of any trunk you want). I cut unwanted sprouts off right at the ground, and trim appropriately on others (shortening at the sides, never cutting the top leader).

I have a beautiful Crape Myrtle tree that explodes with colorful blossoms every summer. I'm biased, but when it bloom, it's the most beautiful of it's kind in town. Problem is that the blossoms only hang around for about 3-4 weeks and begin to scatter across the driveway. All of the other trees hold theirs much, much longer. (They're all still in full bloom -- mine is almost bare). Any reason why mine might be shedding a little early?

Type? Some only bloom for shorter periods. I have a Red Rocket, one of the few that tolerates Pennsylvania weather, and it blooms from July to August, but that's it. Some cultivars are spring to fall bloomers (but won't tolerate my winters).