August is way too hot to be planting anything especially inland areas. The landscaper should have advised you of that.
I have 4 and the last one just started leafing out in the past 2 weeks.
Gently take your fingernail and scratch the upper branches for any green. If not snip off a couple branches to check them or gently scrape the trunk for any sign of green wood.

If it got too much rain this winter it could have died also of rot.

I walk in a neighborhood with scores of crepe myrtles. I have seen none budding out yet. I was worried about a bare root pear I put in this winter, and the buds are just now beginning to break. Some trees are just late.

I planted all of my Crapes when it was stinking hot. That's when I found them at the store. They have all lived. The first year they look fine but don't do a whole lot. The following year they grow.

I don't think I have ever seen anything look deader than a crape does before it leafs out. I was looking at my Muskogee the other day wondering if it was alive. When I looked at it today it was covered with tiny new leaves. Crapes seem to leaf out later than other things.

Ours (Zuni, planted January 2010) are just now leafing out. The new leaves are beautiful fall colors -- a very nice and unexpected surprise.

Your zone might be colder than ours in which case yours may leaf out later, assuming it's still alive.

It never fails to amaze me how completely totally dead they can look, and then they start leafing out. I always think: oh they died this year--but they never die!

I'd look around your neighborhood and see if you can find any others, and see if they are leafing out yet or not.

If you can just nick an unimportant branch with your fingernail and see if there is some green under the surface, that can tell you as well.

Agree with hoov. Scratch branch.

Dan

Thanks for all the responses -- this forum is a great resource : )!

I scraped the bark and see green, so hopefully it will start leafing out soon.

It'll leaf out in its own time, not ours.

Dan

I'm in zone 9 and none of my many have started to bud out. Also, we've only had a smartering of warm days inbetween many cold ones.

The ones here (Sunset zone 23) just started this week. Last Friday they looked completely 100% dead. Now there is green all over them. They are quick once they start.

I planted mine last November and I was just as worried as you were. My neighbor has an old one, perhaps 20-30 years and its leafed out about a month and half ago. Mine was a sick looking stick... until about 5 days ago, it's finally leafing!

So, yes, each tree will leaf out when it wants, depending on your climate and age of the tree. I'm told this year the tree will look just about the same as planting. But starting next year the growth begins!

Here in Zone 6, Crape Myrtles are one of the last shrubs/small trees to leaf out. Use a pocket knife or the likes, scrape a small section of bark, if it's green inside, you're OK, be patient.
Mike Cassidy

MIke, waiting 3 years would truly epitomize the word "patient" LOL