Tree Huggers

Basically. Some people also falsely believe it improves the bloom. It actually reduces it.

Mostly it’s just tradition perpetuated by copycatting without real knowledge of tree biology. In my area everyone cuts mulberries this way which is even worse since they’re large trees that can become hazardous if mismanaged.

When trees are trimmed too heavily, it triggers a strong growth response with tons of competing, weakly attached sprouts. If these sprouts grow large, they may eventually collapse under their own weight. Since crape myrtles are small it’s a small issue but with larger trees it can be a real hazard. Which is ironic since people often do this to their trees to make them feel safer.

Edit: here’s a good resource on how to prune and how not to prune crape myrtles, since the other user appears confused on this topic: https://wayne.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/02/pruning-crape-myrtles-the-correct-way/

There’s no evidence crape myrtles need to be pruned this way, and I’ve seen many wonderful specimens that were not.