Bad Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale Infestation - not leafing out - do I cut back? - Ask Extension
Hello,
I fought a bad Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale infestation last spring and summer and now those same trees are not leafing out. the limbs up towards...
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Bad Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale Infestation - not leafing out - do I cut back? #930650
Asked May 05, 2026, 8:42 AM EDT
Hello,
I fought a bad Crepe Myrtle Bark Scale infestation last spring and summer and now those same trees are not leafing out. the limbs up towards the tops of the trees are still black because the smaller limbs did not shed their bark. The trees are about 12 feet tall and all are showing new growth around the bases but very little new growth up in the branches. Do I cut them back now and if so, where and how do I cut? I want them to be tree like and not bush like - looking like a lolly pop - if possible. Thank You!
Baltimore County Maryland
Expert Response
The blackened leaves (and possibly also the lack of leaves) is due to damage from the frost/freeze that much of Maryland experienced about a couple weeks ago. Hardy plants do not retain their freeze tolerance once they have broken dormancy and begun to produce new growth, which is why temperature swings between very mild days and cold snaps in spring can be very damaging. We've received numerous inquiries about such damage on a variety of tree, shrub, and perennial species that had begun to grow or leaf-out when the we had a freeze overnight.
Nothing can heal the injured tissues, but healthy and well-established plants usually have enough energy reserves to produce new growth, though it may take them a few weeks to start to look normal again. It would be best to wait to see how the plant fares, and only trim branches if they remain bare (having no new growth) once the rest of the tree leafs-out again. Any leftover wilted/singed leaves will eventually fall off on their own as they dry out.
We are still in a worsening drought, carried over from the past two years of insufficient rain. It would reduce plant stress to monitor them for watering needs and irrigate them periodically as needed. The linked page has watering guidance. Producing new growth requires ample root moisture, and the process can be hindered or stalled if a plant is too drought-stressed.
A prior heavy population of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale might have contributed to dieback over the winter or may have weakened the tree enough to predispose it to damage from overlapping drought and the cold snaps. Any leftover black sooty mold on the bark, which doesn't harm the tree itself, will weather off on its own eventually.
You may need to wait until mid- or late May to determine what needs to be cut back due to poor (or no) regrowth. At that point, depending on the cultivar of Crapemyrtle you're growing (how large it matures, which is tied to how fast it grows), it will take a few years to replace all of the growth that was lost, but eventually you can select several main stems as they mature and make the plant look tree-shaped again.
Miri
Nothing can heal the injured tissues, but healthy and well-established plants usually have enough energy reserves to produce new growth, though it may take them a few weeks to start to look normal again. It would be best to wait to see how the plant fares, and only trim branches if they remain bare (having no new growth) once the rest of the tree leafs-out again. Any leftover wilted/singed leaves will eventually fall off on their own as they dry out.
We are still in a worsening drought, carried over from the past two years of insufficient rain. It would reduce plant stress to monitor them for watering needs and irrigate them periodically as needed. The linked page has watering guidance. Producing new growth requires ample root moisture, and the process can be hindered or stalled if a plant is too drought-stressed.
A prior heavy population of Crapemyrtle Bark Scale might have contributed to dieback over the winter or may have weakened the tree enough to predispose it to damage from overlapping drought and the cold snaps. Any leftover black sooty mold on the bark, which doesn't harm the tree itself, will weather off on its own eventually.
You may need to wait until mid- or late May to determine what needs to be cut back due to poor (or no) regrowth. At that point, depending on the cultivar of Crapemyrtle you're growing (how large it matures, which is tied to how fast it grows), it will take a few years to replace all of the growth that was lost, but eventually you can select several main stems as they mature and make the plant look tree-shaped again.
Miri
Wow! Thank you so much for the response!
Will
You're welcome!
