Crape Myrtles are deciduous in zone 10. Now is the time to trim them and/or transplant to a larger pot. Obviously, trim them first.

I have one in a fiberglass whiskey barrel. It's a 20 year old bonsai that belonged to my mother (I use the whiskey barrel instead of a bonsai container because I don't have the time to water anything once a day). We also have 4 large crape myrtles (heights vary depending on variety). They are really tree-sized - and I think they're a lot prettier if they're allowed to grow to natural height. Here's one of ours in full bloom:

Note that they do lose their leaves in the winter - and now is the season to prune them. Robyn

Robyn - can you post a picture of what it looks like today?

Thanks fawnridge. ..trim and repot.. got it.

Robyn, what variety is the one pictured? Nice specimen. Like the color a great deal.

botanical_drifter

fawnridge - you don't really want to see what it looks like today - 1/21/11. No leaves - and has just been hard pruned back to maintain shape (it's a nice shape - but it pretty much looks like a candelabra). Here's what it looked like last time I took a picture "in season" (about 3 years ago - trunks are thicker now:

Also- I have one crape myrtle volunteer that wound up in a place where is it inconvenient to have a tree - but a 5-6 foot shrubs works. I "crape murder" it every year - and it does fine (although right now - after the hard pruning - it's not much to look at).

Crape myrtles aren't very exensive here (big or small) - and I think they lend themselves to many different places in the landscape. So perhaps it makes sense to buy one and play with it in a place you might want it. Robyn

fawnridge - did you mean a picture of the big one or the one in the whiskey barrel? I can take pictures of one or the other or both and post them. Robyn

Learning Bonsai is on the list.

botanical_drifter

I've had a grape crape myrtle in a 3 gallon pot for about 5 years. It blooms like crazy every year. I'll miss it, but hopefully, someone will give it a good home.

Sorry for the delay. Finally stopped raining.

Here's the one in the pot - I hard prune it once a year to try to keep it like a bonsai (which is how my mother raised it - I try to maintain her original shape). It's about 15 years old now:

Here's a full size 20 year old - just like the one in the front yard. Was pruned last week (just to take out limbs that were rubbing together - etc.). It's a little thin on the left side because raccoons climb on it - and then try to jump onto the bird feeder (and they break some limbs - not theirs - the ones on the trees):

Here's a volunteer from our purple-ish trees that decided to grow in an inconvenient place for a tall tree. Looks nice in bloom. I prune it back pretty hard each year to keep it small:

I love the purple-ish color of the one you like (I have 3 of them - one of the few things in the original landscape I liked and kept). I tried to match it for a while (I wanted a 4th) - and never did find one (thought I had - but the 4th turned out more pink than purple - still - it had such a nice trunk structure I couldn't bring myself to dig it up and toss it). Robyn

BTW - I live near JAX - and it is normal for crape myrtles to look like this in the winter here. My brother from Miami once came here in the late fall and thought I wasn't taking care of my trees because they didn't have leaves. So I don't have a clue what they do in south Florida (seems like you live in zone 10).

I actually like having the trees lose their leaves once a year - because they tend to get hit with powdery mildew in the late summer - early fall. So I start out with a batch of new clean leaves every year. Robyn

Thanks Robyn,

Yes, Zone 10b here.

Is there a good book to learn Bonsai? I would love to try this with a couple of trees.

With space so limited, and if we ever moved back north, is it okay to sink the pots I am growing in? Could crotons be grown like as well?

Thanks

botanical_drifter

In zone 10b - there are plenty of bonsai clubs. Would suggest trying those first (books are ok - but more boring than meetin FTF with people and plants).

Crotons die in the winter even here in north Florida. If you ever want to take something from Florida to up north - I'd check on where it's hardy first. Robyn