Think so.

Yep.

The third one is the prettiest because you can see that it has just been lightly pruned - if pruned at all, whereas the other 3 show various signs of being excessively pruned ("crape murder"), exhibiting leggy growth and stumpy trunks.

Nope, none are crepe myrtles. They all appear to be crApe myrtles to me. ;-)

Laugh my head off!!! Thank you for correcting my spelling too.... yes, I have seen most of the crApe myrtles being pruned in late winter with the entire top chopped off...... i was wondering if that would do any good? So... what kinds of trees or what trees need to be pruned slightly, and what trees need to be pruned a lot?

So... what kinds of trees or what trees need to be pruned slightly, and what trees need to be pruned a lot?

Are you speaking still of crape myrtles or trees in general?

I don't think any tree HAS to be pruned unless it has somehow gotten a limb in an awkward or unsightly way or has been sited incorrectly. Mother nature is not "pruning" trees although occasionally storms will tear off limbs and squirrels will nibble off twigs ....

Yes, trees in general, although I only have seen crape myrtles being pruned a lot, only leaving the trunks and the lowest parts of main limbs branching out. Why in particular do people prune crape myrtles severely especially in commercial areas, like shopping malls or store lots?

They are not crape myrtles.

They are crapemyrtles.

Well, "crape murder" (the practice of whacking them off, named by someone at Watkins Nurseries in Richmond, VA many moons ago) was probably initially caused by crapes being put in areas where a full sized crape was not needed, so they began cutting them back. This practice has since snow-balled out of control, to the point that people think they have to prune them. Crapes pruned severely will send out a lot of succulent growth, which is highly susceptible to mildew and aphids, and breaks easily in wind, hail, or heavy rain. Severely pruned crapes also sucker more, can eventually suffer from decay, and tend to have much later blooming. If the plant can't grow but so tall, they can plant a smaller growing cultivar, as many exist now.

severe pruning sure does cause a lot of unwanted growth. when we bought our home it had 25 CMs of varying types. there are 14 lining the drive alone. the previous owner never did anythign with them, they are spaced about 20 ft apart and had actually gorwn together into a semi hedge! well after them causing a ripped hood on my mower i cut them back to try and shape them into straight trunks like you normally see. that was 4 years ago and the progress is slow. i let the biggest shoots grow straight up and in another year or so when they get big enough i will cut down the original trees and leave these new growths. for now i have to get out there and trim the shoots and suckers every week. i swear they will shoot up a 2ft long one in a week at certain times!

Stompede,

Now you have me wondering, and I didn't feel like doing my real work. So I used a little company time to research this important information. LOL

What makes you say it's "crapemyrtle" instead of "crape myrtle". I did a little searching on the web and found very many references that claimed "crape myrtle" was correct but only one that claimed "crapemyrtle" as correct. "Crape myrtle" definitely seems to be the preferred (common) way to spell it. Google has very close to ten times as many references to "crape myrtle" as it does for "crape myrtle". Wikipedia has it a crape-myrtle (their version of two separate words used as one). I found a number of dictionaries, including Webster's, that have it as two words rather than one. So, if you are as tired of doing important things as I was, let me know why you think it's supposed to be one word.

P.S. My spellchecker also says it's two words.

Crapemyrtle is correct because these plants aren't really myrtles. The same rule for Eastern Redcedar. And I'm sure you guys can help me think of several others that follow the same rule. If Lagerstroemia belonged with true myrtles, then we could use the two word spelling.

I would never take exception with anyone, though, for using the two word spelling. I believe that Lagerstroemia grower and hybridizer David Byers (from right here in N. Alabama) recommends Crapemyrtle, but has even suggested using the hyphen! Both Whitcomb and Dirr spell it as one word, as does the National Arboretum and the list of standardized plant names. Hortus III uses the two word version, if I remember correctly. (Mine is out in the car, so I can't look it up right now.)

But, it is a common name, after all and subject to all kinds of variations.

True, it's a common name and Lagerstroemia is the only true name for them. But I know hort students, in state and out of state, who take plant materials classes who get "crape myrtle" as a misspelling on quizzes and tests. There's been a pretty big push for "crapemyrtle" here in VA, coming from VPI and their little HRAREC in Tidewater.

I don't know rhizo. VPI seems to spell it as "crape myrtle" in most of it's posts on the web. My search turned up three times more VPI/crape myrtle links than VPI/crapemyrtle links. Here's just the first few examples:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/envirohort/426-701/426-701.html
http://www.hort.vt.edu/mastergardener/countyfaqstats.htm
http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/monthlytips/november/notenovt.html
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/plantdiseasefs/450-616/450-616.html

Then I found a bunch of US National Arboretum documents with "crape myrtle". A few had both "crapemyrtle" and "crape myrtle" in the same document! Their homepage ( http://www.usna.usda.gov/ ) uses "crape myrtle".

And, I've never noticed, but Dirr doesn't seem to be able to make his mind up either, if the rule he's using is like the one to which you allude. He uses firstname-secondname most commonly, but also uses firstnamesecondname and firstname secondname frequently also. Just a very few examples of the firstname secondname scheme in his writings:
Indian Cherry is not a Prunus
Oregon Cedar is not a Cedrus
Stinking Cedar is not a Cedrus
Mountain Holly is not a Ilex
Poison Ivy is not a Hedera
Tulip Magnolia is not a Magnolia
and the list could go on and on.

Hortus III does use "crape myrtle".

I totally agree with you that "it is a common name, after all and subject to all kinds of variations," but some of us have to have something to talk about in our spare time when we are procrastinating doing the things we should be doing. (-:

I know it's not in online publications, but they are doing it on the short course/seminar level. It really doesn't matter. We all know crape myrtle is crapemyrtle...even though crapemyrtle is technically correct...but crape myrtle has been shouted loud enough and often enough...it's the reality.

sort of like "prostrate" vs. 'prostate" juniper!! I have found it spelled both ways even though one 'poster corrected me & gave me an 'anatomy lesson' !! :) Seems the juniper has some medicinal qualities thus the anatomical spelling in some references.

Stompede,
When you say "crapemyrtle" is technically correct, are you saying that "crapemyrtle" is more technically correct than "crape myrtle" or that both are technically correct? From all indications I see, "crapemyrtle" appears to be a variation on the most commonly accepted spelling. It seems to be used in some circles, but doesn't seem to be used consistently even there. Maybe it's a little like the two ways of saying tomato or potato, but we all know that the way I say them is the most correct. (-;

I don't know why, but it's something they've been a little picky about in the past year. I think these hort phds are getting a little bored...

One nursery I deal with called and corrected me when I ordered "crape myrtles" instead of "crapemyrtles". Just to confuse them, and it has, I order Lagerstroemia indica, fauriei, or x '' now.

I really don't care how it's spelled. Even when you say it, anyone will know what you are talking about. I wish more plants were that easy, but that's a different topic...

Where did the "crepe" come from? Anyone hear them called "creapmyrtles" or "creepmyrtles"? A couple of so-called landscrape designers in the area are using those names on their designs.

No common name is technically correct.