The Virginia Cooperative Master Gardener Extension frequently posts short, timely articles on Facebook. Whenever I see one of these posts, I share it on my Facebook page, and I usually receive several responses from friends that often lead to new questions from readers and challenge me to find helpful answers to their queries.

A recent topic that always generates interest was about the “crape murder” that occurs each spring throughout crape myrtle’s Southeastern range. Crape murder, the practice of topping these trees straight across, is frowned upon by Master Gardeners, horticulturists, and arborists everywhere. Topping creates unsightly scar tissue that can offer an entry portal for disease or insect pests. In addition, thin, whiplike stems that break easily sprout from the cut ends, and topped crape myrtles develop more suckers than trees that are pruned to retain their natural form.

Crape myrtles (Lagerstroemia spp.) are not United States natives. They were imported to easte...