Yes, crape myrtle is one of the easiest landscape plants to grow from cuttings, with University of Georgia extension guides calling it “easily propagated” from semi-hardwood cuttings taken during summer. The whole process—cut to rooted plant—takes roughly a month.
That empty spot in the bed doesn’t need a trip to the garden center. One established crape myrtle can produce a half-dozen new plants by August with almost no equipment. The University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences says the key is taking cuttings from new growth of the season during a narrow window: June, July, and August. Miss that window and rooting drops fast. Hit it, and you’ll have roots in about a month.
Here’s exactly what works, what doesn’t, and the step-by-step the extension offices teach.
When To Take Crape Myrtle Cuttings
Timing is the single biggest success factor. Crape myrtle cuttings root best from semi-hardwood—the season’s new growth that has started to firm up but isn’t woody yet. That stage happens during summer, with June through August being the reliable window for most of the southern US.
Cuttings taken in early spring from old wood rarely root. Cuttings taken in fall, when growth has hardened off, struggle too. Stick to new growth of the current season, taken while it’s still flexible but not soft and green.
What You Need: Cutting Size and Preparation
Take a cutting about 6 to 8 inches long from the tip of a healthy branch. Each cutting should have at least 4 leaf nodes—those small bumps where leaves emerge. Nodes are where roots will form.
Strip the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting, leaving two or three sets of leaves at the top. Too many leaves lose moisture faster than the cutting can absorb, which is the most common failure point for home propagators. A clean, sharp pair of pruners makes a difference; ragged cuts invite rot.
References & Sources
- University of Georgia Extension. “Crape Myrtle Culture.” Primary source on timing, cutting preparation, and care steps.