Have you taken a look at the roots? When was the last time they were repotted? Where do you live and what light, temps are they growing under?

I live in Florida and have Crape Myrtles growing in the ground. They are a hardy tree/shrub but I have found they like a bit of shade and do well with a regular fertilizer.

Please provide more information about your growing conditions. I would not suggest cutting them down at this time of year.

Jane

They have not been re-potted in many years, I'm not sure how many but maybe 6-8. I'm in 7b and they have been growing outside in full morning sun that recedes about noon for the past couple of months at least. They have been exposed to 90 degree temperatures but it has been a milder summer than we've had in years. In the winter they are in front of a window that provides the same direct morning sun. These are not like crepe myrtles but are more delicate indoor plants.

I believe you have a German myrtle, smaller cousin of the common myrtle. They are Mediterranean in origin and used as spice in some places. I use them in the grill just for its beautiful aroma. Crepe myrtles are different plants altogether.

They do hate to get dried out and usually kills the top and then new shoots tend to come out of the base. You can test whether those dried stems are dead or not by clipping them. If you notice any green at the edge just under the bark then they are still alive. I doubt it though. I would start at the top and work my way down to live portion. I would also leave the green live portion of the plant so that it can recover.

They can take a hard prune in early summer although I have done it later too. But as I said they have a tendency to shoot new growth from the base or way low on the stem. You may need to snip those off too maintain the desired shape.

For the green one on the right taking off half of the foliage should be OK now. They will leaf out again. But generally re-potting and hard pruning is best done early-mid summer.

Thank you so much. I sure would love to hear how you use them in the grill. Do you put the woody parts in or the green? Very interesting.

I started pruning and much of the brown, even the large stems close to the trunk are all brown. There are a few random green stems. It may not be worth trying to save but I'm going to give it a shot, I think.

I use the woody parts soaked in water close to the coals for the smoke effect. In fact, I do the same with lavender, rosemary, cilantro, mint, basil stem. The woody stems.

I also crush dried leaves and sprinkle lightly over meat/vegetables. I have not used the green leaves though. The aroma is strong so you need to experiment and find the sweet spot.

And prune away and save the bits.