# Crepe Myrtle

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crepe-myrtle/700192>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 2, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crepe-myrtle/700192 "2014-10-02T16:29:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2014, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crepe-myrtle/700192/1 "2014-10-02T16:29:17Z")

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I planted two Crepe Myrtle’s one year ago. I thought that our horrible winter had killed them, but each is now growing back with shoots from the roots (or below ground anyway). Examining mature trees near me, I want to have 4 or 5 trunks, maximum. There are currently about a dozen stems from each tree.

What should my strategy be? How many stems should I remove right now (or rather this winter, after the leaves fall)? Is it better to wait a few years for all the stems to become stronger?