"Crepe Murder": Why Your Landscaper Is Harming Your Trees (And the Right Way to Prune)

paulceki1205
3 days ago
4 min read

It’s late winter in Jacksonville. The air has a slight chill, and you can hear a familiar sound echoing through the neighborhoods. It’s the sound of gas-powered hedge trimmers and chainsaws.

It is "Crepe Murder" season.

You’ve seen the grim results: rows of once-beautiful Crepe Myrtles, with their graceful, vase-like limbs, have been indiscriminately "topped." They are reduced to ugly, gnarled "knuckles"—stumps that look scarred and brutalized against the winter sky.

This practice is so common that many homeowners assume it's the correct way to care for a Crepe Myrtle.

It is not.

It is a fundamental misunderstanding of what a plant is and why we prune in the first place. It’s a "mow, blow, and go" shortcut that prioritizes speed over science, and it’s slowly destroying the health and beauty of our city's landscapes.

To fix this, we have to go back to first principles. We must ask: What is pruning, and why do we really do it?

**The ugly truth of 'Crepe Murder': indiscriminate topping that disfigures trees and invites disease, a common sight in Jacksonville.**

What Is Pruning?

Most people think pruning is "cutting a plant to make it smaller." This is incorrect. That’s just hacking.

True pruning is the strategic and selective removal of parts of a plant to achieve a specific goal. It’s a science, not a chore. When we prune correctly, we are working with the plant's natural biology. At Duval Tree & Mulch, we prune for three primary reasons:

To Promote HEALTH: We remove dead, diseased, or dying branches. This stops the spread of rot. We also thin out crossing or rubbing branches to improve airflow, which is the single most important thing you can do to prevent fungal disease in Jacksonville's oppressive humidity.
To Direct ENERGY: A plant has a finite amount of energy. By selectively removing weak "suckers," water sprouts, and unnecessary growth, we tell the plant where to spend its energy. We direct it to build a stronger main structure and produce bigger, more vibrant flowers.
To Respect FORM: A plant is genetically programmed to have a specific shape. A Schilling's Holly wants to be a tidy globe. A Viburnum wants to be a dense screen. A Crepe Myrtle wants to be a multi-trunked, vase-shaped tree. Good pruning enhances this natural form; it doesn't fight it.

Part 2: Why "Crepe Murder" Violates Every Principle

Now, let's look at "Crepe Murder" through the lens of these first principles.

Does it promote HEALTH?

No. "Topping" a tree creates large, flat, open wounds. These gaping wounds are a perfect entry point for water, rot, and disease. In our wet climate, these wounds rarely heal correctly and often begin to decay, hollowing out the tree from the inside out.

Does it direct ENERGY?

No. It does the opposite. This aggressive hack sends the plant into a state of panic. It thinks it's dying, so it desperately forces a "Medusa's head" of dozens of weak, "whippy" branches from the wound. These branches are structurally flimsy and cannot support the weight of heavy summer blooms, causing them to droop sadly to the ground.

Does it respect FORM?

No. It permanently destroys the plant's beautiful, natural structure, replacing it with a permanent, ugly "knuckle." It turns a graceful tree into a disfigured stump.

"Crepe Murder" isn't pruning. It's butchery. It's a shortcut used by unskilled crews who don't understand—or don't care about—the long-term health of your property.

Part 3: The Duval Tree & Mulch Method – Pruning with Purpose

Our philosophy is built on Excellence and Respect. That means we respect your investment and the biology of the plants on your property. Our "Seasonal Cleanup" is a professional, expert intervention, not just a "trim."

The Right Tool

Our standard of Excellence means we use the right tool for the job. We don't "shape" your entire landscape with a single pair of gas-powered shears. Our teams are equipped with precision hand-pruners, loppers, and pole saws. This allows us to make clean, selective cuts that heal quickly.

The Right Technique

Instead of "topping" a Crepe Myrtle, we selectively thin it. We use hand-pruners to:

Remove crossing branches to improve airflow.
Cut out any dead or diseased wood.
Remove weak "sucker" growth from the base.
Lightly trim old seed pods (if desired).

The result is a healthy, strong, naturally beautiful tree that produces more and stronger blooms.

The Right Time (Our Local Authority)

Pruning at the wrong time of year can damage a plant or eliminate its flowers. Our team operates on a horticultural calendar, not just a "mow, blow, and go" schedule.

Crepe Myrtles & Summer Bloomers: We prune these in late winter (February/March), before they start growing. This encourages strong new wood, which is what they bloom on.
Azaleas, Gardenias & Spring Bloomers: These plants form their flower buds last summer. If you prune them in winter, you cut off 100% of the flowers. We prune them in late spring, immediately after they finish blooming.
Palms: We never "hurricane cut" a palm, which stresses the tree. We only remove fully brown, dead fronds to prepare for storm season.
Hedges (Viburnum, Podocarpus): These can be lightly sheared for shape. But our Excellence standard means we also thin them, allowing sunlight to reach the bottom. This prevents that ugly, "bare-legged" look where all the growth is on top.