We needed these tree cleaned up a bit… but I wasn’t expecting to come back to it cut this deep.
by DrDuctMossburg
We needed these tree cleaned up a bit… but I wasn’t expecting to come back to it cut this deep.
by DrDuctMossburg
25 Comments
Yes. What the actual hell. Please don’t trust landscapers with tree pruning
Oh yeah they beheaded that sucker! Unfortunate, but common practice by your average landscaper. I’d let it grow out again then maybe show a picture to them next time what you’re looking for!
Yes. Did a light bulb go off in your head saying “I should have done this myself”?
Yes
My understanding is that A crêpe myrtle will only produce flowers on new growth and so once a year, this type of pruning happens. I’ve never seen it done quite so low but it should still produce new growth and beautiful flowers. In Danville California with there is a street lined with crêpe myrtles and they do this once a year. Please let us know if I am wrong next year.
😬😬😬😬😬😬😬
Wow…
Its a crepe myrtle, its a deeply.personaly choice if you want to let it get leggy and tall or trim it every 2 to 3 years and keep it more bush form.
People don’t know how to properly prune crape myrtles. Everyone thinks this is pollarding, but they don’t know what pollarding is.
Fortunately, it’s pretty hard to kill them, even when they get butchered like this.
Give it some time, and it should be fine. Just don’t let them do it again.
Those guys would be good hazel nut tree or other coppice pruners but that’s about it.
looks lile you got what you paid for. you paid to have it butchered.
Yes.
I don’t like that they cut it so short, but this is a super common practice in my area. The tree will recover just fine, crepe myrtles are practically weeds. Next time you want to have it trimmed be very specific about exactly how much you want pruned, or do it yourself.
I believe the name for this type of pruning of crepe myrtles is “crepe murder”.
Brutal
What the actual fuck…
It’s a crepe myrtle, this isn’t the ideal way to prune but they can come back from practically anything
What is the best way to prune an “overgrown” crepe myrtle? I have three that are now about 25+ ft tall and no longer providing screening at the bottom of the trees. Is it possible to restore growth towards the lower part of the tree?
Yep, Crepe Murder.
The better way is to do staggered cuts of the branches. Usually 2 branches will grow from there.
The new growth from Crepe Murder is long weak branches that droop with the weight of the flowers.
Your original tree should have just had all the inward growing and crossing branches removed. It was beautiful.
Oh that’s fucking horrifying.
Yes they crape-murdered it.
This should be a pass/fail question on every arborist exam and every tree service licensing application.
Your tree will live. It will grow ugly knuckles and weak water spout branches all over.
Crape Myrtles have two very appealing traits, their blooms and their trunk architecture (particularly wonderful for winter interest when the leaves fall off). In this case, your trunk architecture is completely ruined and will never look the same.
It’s 2026, how this still happens by people doing this as their profession is completely mind-boggling, especially with google and now AI.
Sorry, pal…that’s rough.
You had been doing such a good job pruning it into tree form (which is the only way I like these trees.)
Oh well, it will be fine. My grandfather chopped his down and mowed over it with the lawnmower for a couple years. 20 years later it’s your average overgrown full size bush thing in the corner of the yard.
I don’t understand what needed pruning in the first place. That thing looked excellent and happy. It’s shape was great. Am I missing something?
Not everything needs to be fucked with. If it ain’t broke, don’t fiddle with it.
Edit: They didn’t need to mess with the shrubs either.
Why do people not watch tree pruners???
Yes 100% “crepe murdered” it. It was beautiful the way it was.
It’ll still look ok by a lot of people’s standards because crepe murder is standard practice (sadly).
First pic…. I was thinking, “I dunno it looks ok to me”. Scroll to second: “oh”.