When I purchased my home a couple of years ago, one of the first things I noticed was the enormous Crape Myrtle in the backyard. Smaller Crape Myrtles were near this massive tree. Clearly, the suckers were allowed to grow into gangly, oddly placed trees. It made me wonder why Crape Myrtles spread as they do and what could be done to prevent more unwanted trees.
Crape Myrtles have shallow, fibrous roots with a wide reach. From their root system, these trees send up shoots (suckers) that will grow into full-sized clones of the parent plant if they aren’t removed. Keeping the tree healthy and promptly removing suckers will keep your Crapes from spreading.
This article will explain in more detail how and why Crape Myrtles seem to spread like an invasive species and discuss what you can do with these runners and shoots. If you just want to eliminate the excess growth, we’ll also explain what to do in that situation.
Why Do Crape Myrtles Spread?
If you notice more Crape Myrtles than you started with, chances are you’re dealing with some shoots coming up from the tree’s root system. This is the most common way for Crape Myrtles to spread within your landscape. In fact, certain varieties are considered invasive seeders, depending on your location. So, if you’re unsure about whether this applies to you, check with your local extension office before planting a new Crape Myrtle.
Crape Myrtles frequently spread by sending shoots from adventitious buds on the root system. These unwanted sprouts are more likely to occur when the tree is under stress. So, severe pruning, disease, or wounding could all result in an increase of these runners shooting up in the vicinity of the parent plant.
Whether you call them runners, suckers, sprouts, or shoots, this growth is the root system’s attempt to get more nutrients through photosynthesis. More foliage equals more food for the plant. Shoots and suckers are such common issues with Crape Myrtles that we dedicated an entire article to learning all about them, which you can read here.
These pesky shoots also sometimes happen in response to the tree not getting enough sunlight for the same reasons. If the foliage on the tree is in a shaded area, the root system tries to send up new growth; this allows the root system to get more sunlight, which helps improve the plant’s overall health. Still, your Crape Myrtle can develop these shoots around the tree’s base even when it’s not under any stress. Crape Myrtles naturally produce suckers and shoots from their shallow root system. If you don’t remove them, you’ll end up with more trees or trunks than you planned.
How Do Crape Myrtles Spread?
Crape Myrtles spread in one of two ways — dropping seed pods or through suckers and runners. In most cases, Crape Myrtles spread through new growth sprouting up from the existing root system. Other trees like Beech, Birch, Poplars, Yaupon Hollies, and some Oak Trees also sprout from the root system, so it’s not something totally unique to Crape Myrtles. Still, these vigorous growers are probably some of the most aggressive when it comes to these suckers and shoots.
Crape Myrtles have a widespread but shallow root system. Depending on the environment, your tree may have to compete with turf, grass, and other nearby plants for resources. That can be difficult with such a shallow and fibrous root system. In response to this or other stressors, Crape Myrtles send sprouts directly from the root system. These stems will become new trees or additional trunks if you don’t remove them.
What To Do With Crape Myrtle Runners and Shoots
When you notice these shoots and suckers coming up from the ground, you may just want to remove them altogether. They tend to come up as a thicket around the base of the tree, causing it to look more like a shrub in some cases.
You can easily snap the shoots off with your fingers when they are young. If you can’t do it manually, just snip them off with a pair of hand pruners. Be sure to cut as close to the base as possible, even going underneath the soil if you can. Otherwise, you’ll soon find a bunch of new shoots growing from just below the pruning site.
Another option is to transplant the suckers and runners. The shoots are clones of the parent plant, so if you really like the look and color of the existing tree, you may want to grow one of the shoots into an additional Crape Myrtle somewhere else in your yard. To transplant a Crape Myrtle shoot, simply dig it up with some of the roots attached. Re-plant the little sprout in its new location and give it plenty of water for the first several months. If it survives the transplant, you should be on your way to a new baby Crape Myrtle in no time. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can try one of these other methods to propagate your Crape Myrtle.
Can You Kill Runners Without Harming the Tree?
You can kill runners without harming the tree in some cases. If you cut them down, pull them up, or manually remove the shoots and sprouts, the parent plant will be fine. However, you shouldn’t use herbicides to kill runners as this will harm the parent plant. Remember, suckers and shoots grow from the main tree’s root system. That means if you spray herbicide onto the suckers, it will be absorbed into the shared root system.
Still, there are some chemical options that you can safely use without worrying about killing your Crape Myrtle. We recommend using a growth inhibitor to help prevent recurring growth once you remove a sucker or do a pruning cut in a particular area on the tree.
The quickest and easiest way to kill Crape Myrtle shoots and get rid of Crape Myrtle sprouts is to pinch them off as soon as you see them. The wood is very soft when the growth is new and fresh, and you can typically pluck it off with your fingers.
If you can’t pull them or pinch the sprouts off, just snip them as low as you possibly can using your pruners. Depending on the location, you may be able to remove the shoots with your lawnmower or a string trimmer. Just be careful not to damage the Crape Myrtle trunks. If you continuously remove the shoots, they should eventually stop growing back or at least grow back less aggressively.
How To Stop Crape Myrtles From Sprouting
There’s really no way to keep your Crape Myrtle from spreading and sprouting, as this is just part of the plant’s natural growth process. Still, there are some things you can do to help control unwanted growth and prevent additional trees and trunks. With enough persistence, you can slow these uninvited guests and reduce the sprouting over time.
When it comes to dealing with suckers and shoots, prevention is critical. Keeping your Crape Myrtle happy and healthy will reduce stress and prevent unnecessary and excessive growth. That means ensuring it gets plenty of sunshine and not over-pruning, as those conditions will encourage the root system to send up those pesky shoots.
Another important step is removing the shoots and suckers as soon as you see them. Chances are they’ll continue to grow back for a while, but over time you should start to see fewer of them developing. Mature trees tend to require less maintenance than younger trees, so persistence is key.
Putting It All Together
Like some other trees, Crape Myrtles naturally spread from their root systems. They send up suckers and shoots from the roots, eventually turning into new trees if you don’t remove them. Sprouts that come up around the base of your tree (or even from the base of the trunk itself) will turn into extra trunks, so you should remove those, too.
There’s no way to completely stop your Crape Myrtle from spreading and producing runners, but you can reduce the number of shoots by properly caring for your tree. Poor pruning practices significantly contribute to unwanted and excessive growth, both from the root system and the tree’s limbs and branches. That’s why correct pruning techniques (remember, less is more – no Crape Murder!) are so important even though Crape Myrtles are relatively low-maintenance trees. In fact, pruning is so important that we dedicated an entire article to the topic, which you can read here!
In addition to keeping your tree healthy, ensuring it gets plenty of sunshine, and not over-pruning, you can reduce the shoots and suckers over time by removing them when you see them. While it may be frustrating to pluck or snip the sprouts just to have them grow back again, remember that you should eventually start seeing fewer of them as the tree matures. Plus, you can always dig up one of the sprouts and transplant it somewhere else in your yard for a replica of the parent plant. Who wouldn’t want another Crape Myrtle in their landscape, anyway?