'Crape Murder' or Necessary Pruning?

Fairhope, Alabama



CALLED 'POLLARDING'

Numerous crape myrtle trees around town were pruned recently because they had become overgrown in restricted space in city right of ways and to promote new growth and flowering in the Summer, according to public works director Richard Johnson.

'Pollarding' of trees (topping) to limit their size is a traditional practice that began in Europe in medieval times -- but has fallen out of favor with most botanists because it is considered not healthy for the plants.

" Pollarding, a pruning system involving the removal of the upper branches of a tree, promotes a dense head of foliage and branches. In ancient Rome, Propertius mentioned pollarding during the 1st century BCE.[1] The practice has occurred commonly in Europe since medieval times and takes place today in urban areas worldwide, primarily to maintain trees at a predetermined height."


TREE COMMITTEE NOT CONSULTED

At least one member of the city's tree committee is not pleased that the committee was not consulted, he says the pollarding was "done wrong" and it would have been better to remove problematic trees completely and replace them with a different species instead (or smaller species of crape myrtles).




Comments

Anonymous said…
So, the trees "suffer" for a short period of time after pruning.
Committee's solution: "kill the trees". That makes sense to me.
Anonymous said…
Ha ha looks horrible what is worse is when they chop the live oaks. The live oaks are beautiful and it is a shame
Giorgi said…
As soon as I saw the carnage I wrote to our mayor Karen Wilson, several weeks ago on her Facebook Post, who in turn defended the murder by saying the crepes were not pruned for a long time and this was a necessary thing, due to electrical wires etc etc There are many trees that are touching the wires not just myrtles, lets kill them all mayor!
It infuriates me to have a mayor that defends and act of tree barbarism without even knowing that the tree committee was not consulted. I dont expect for a mayor to be a arborist but I expect her to consult with the right people. And when the time comes for her to accept that it was not the right thing to do!but not our mayor!



Anonymous said…
I like the way it was done they were overgrown and straggly looking.
Anonymous said…
Larger trees, like live oaks, are routinely trimmed or topped to protect electrical wires from falling limbs during windstorms -- and ensure electrical power to the neighborhood is not interrupted.
Anonymous said…
My arborist does this every year with mine........they may look unsightly for a few weeks but, if this is not done, they get too scraggly. Crepe Myrtles are funny......they are pretty much the last to leaf out in the spring, and we have had a lot of chilly weather. To the poster that blames the Mayor, does she really think that Mayor Wilson is out there ordering this? I have never heard or read or her touting her 'arborist' certifications. Ridiculous cow!@
Anonymous said…
Crepe murder. Any gardener would tell you that crepes do not need pruning ,if pruning at all just the small branches but never down to the structure. If you feel that they are too big then they were poorly thought out before planting and planted in the wrong spot. They are basically trees and people plant way too close to their house. To the comment above that stated that their “arborist” does this every year to theirs. Ha ha I would ask to see their certification I think you are being played. No arborist would do this
Anonymous said…
They all need to come out and the Bradford Pears to. Too much shade there now.