What is 'crepe murder' and why is it bad?

It's the common practice of cutting the main branches down to stubs every year. It weakens the plant over time and produces weak, floppy growth with fewer, heavier blooms that often flop over — prune only dead, damaged, or crossing wood instead.

How do I overwinter a potted crepe myrtle in Canada?

Once it drops its leaves and goes dormant in fall, move the container to a cold but frost-free space like an unheated garage or basement (0–10°C), water only sparingly through winter, and move it back outside gradually after the last frost.

Plant care guide

Crepe Myrtle Growing Guide

Lagerstroemia indica

Crepe myrtle is only reliably hardy to zone 7 in Canada — most gardeners here need to grow it in a container and overwinter it indoors, not plant it in the ground.

Light

Full sun, 6+ hours daily for best blooming

Soil

Well-drained, average fertility; tolerates poor soil

Water

Regular water while young; drought-tolerant once established

Hardiness

Zones 7–9 in-ground; treat as container/annual in most of Canada

Mature size

6–25 ft depending on variety, smaller in containers

Bloom time

Mid to late summer through early fall

Crepe myrtle is a summer-blooming favourite in warmer climates, but its hardiness range (zones 7–9) puts most of Canada outside where it can survive winter in the ground — only the mildest pockets of coastal British Columbia come close. For the rest of the country, it's best treated as a container plant that spends summer outdoors and winter dormant somewhere frost-free, or grown as a seasonal annual.

Hardiness in Canada

Crepe myrtle is hardy in the ground only in zones 7–9 — in Canada, that's essentially limited to the mildest parts of coastal BC (parts of Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland)
Everywhere else in Canada, it will not reliably survive winter planted directly in the ground
Grow it in a large container instead so it can be moved to shelter before hard frost
Dwarf cultivars (2–4 ft) are best suited to container life and easier to move and overwinter

Growing as a container plant

Use a large pot (at least 15–20 gallons for a mature dwarf variety) with excellent drainage
Move outdoors to full sun after last frost; crepe myrtle needs 6+ hours of direct sun to bloom well
Water regularly through summer, letting the top few inches of soil dry between waterings
Feed with a balanced fertilizer in late spring and early summer; stop feeding by midsummer to let growth harden off before dormancy

Overwintering

Bring the container indoors or into an unheated garage before the first hard frost, once the plant has dropped its leaves and gone dormant
Store in a cold, dark or dim space between 0–10°C — a cold garage, shed, or basement works well
Water sparingly through winter, just enough to keep the roots from drying out completely — dormant plants need very little
Move back outside gradually in spring once frost danger has passed, letting it re-acclimate to sun over a week or two

Pruning (and avoiding 'crepe murder')

Prune in late winter or early spring while the plant is still dormant, before new growth starts
Avoid 'crepe murder' — the common mistake of hacking main branches down to stubs each year, which weakens the plant and produces weak, floppy growth with fewer, heavier blooms
Remove only dead, damaged, or crossing branches, along with thin twiggy growth and suckers from the base
If shaping is needed, make cuts just above an outward-facing bud rather than indiscriminately topping the plant

Common problems

Plant dies over winter: almost always means it was left in the ground or unprotected outside its hardiness zone — grow in a container and overwinter indoors
Few or no blooms: usually insufficient sun (needs 6+ hours) or over-pruning ('crepe murder') the previous year
Powdery mildew (white coating on leaves): improve air circulation and choose mildew-resistant cultivars where available
Aphids and the sooty mold that follows: treat with insecticidal soap and rinse off honeydew residue
Weak, floppy new growth: a sign of overly hard pruning — cut back only dead or crossing wood in future years

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Frequently asked questions

Only in the mildest parts of coastal British Columbia (roughly zone 7 and up) can it survive planted in the ground. Everywhere else in Canada, it needs to be grown in a container and moved to a cold, sheltered space like a garage or basement for winter.