'Catawba' is not usually bushy. It's an upright cultivar. It can be kept more upright by limiting the number of trunks, or, encouraged to be more bushy by cutting out dominant trunks and allowing multiple trunks to arise.

There are many other crape cultivars that are lavender/purple and small. Examples would include 'Dwarf Royalty' (royal-purple, dwarf, 4'-8'), 'Petite Orchid' (orchid, dwarf-upright, 4'-6'), and 'Petite Plum' (plum-purple, dwarf-upright, 4'-6').

The biggest obstacle I can see with growing a crape in a pot (assuming you replant it, as you said you were willing to do) is possible hardiness issues. In your area (7b/8a) most crapes will do fine in-ground, but you might loose some in a cold winter. As I'm sure you know, trees' and shrubs' roots are not nearly as hardy as their above ground parts. You may be OK (especially considering the heat your patio might give off), but I wouldn't bet either way.

I had a Crepe Myrtle in a big, ceramic pot with no drainage holes for about 3 years. While in Savannah, it stayed outside through two winters. I took it to my mother's house in middle Georgia (Zone 8) and it went through one winter there on the back porch. It was only about 2 feet high. Last summer I planted it in the ground there and the tree was very happy about that.

I'm not sure of the species, but it was a baby from an old Crepe Myrtle that had been planted 40+ years earlier. The mother tree grew straight up and had pale pink blossoms.

Good luck!

Brandon, you're right, it's a Lagerstroemia indica. Also, last summer I purchased my mother a white, Nachez Crepe Myrtle. The leaves look different on that one.

Since hanging around the Gardenweb, I've become more interested in finding out the names of the plants, shrubs and trees around me.

Thank you!

Brandon -- About the Catawba...do you think one that already has quite a few trunks (probably 8-10, most no larger than 1/2-inch) could be pruned to have fewer trunks and still do well? And, if I were to do that, should I prune those outer trunks all the way to the ground? Won't that just encourage new shoots out of that stump? Or should I prune them "under" the soil when I pot it?

Not sure why I'm worried about the Muskogee though. I had a Natchez in a pot for 2 years...just couldn't find a place for it, and it lived in a pot with zero care out in my back yard (where the patio is now) and was perfectly happy. It didn't bloom quite as profusely as it would have in the ground, but was otherwise healthy.

The patio area is already a hot spot on our property and I'm sure the concrete pavers (they are dry set in sand, for drainage, but still...) will keep it pretty warm for my containers in the winter.

Yes, you could definitely remove some of the existing trunks. Just choose carefully, and select for better form. You could reduce an 8-trunk crape down to 5, or a 10-trunk crape down to 7. I wouldn't do more than that at one time though.

When trunks are removed, you will see some resprout. This increased growth will need to be addressed for a couple of years, but will eventually slow to current levels or cease altogether.

Just an update...got a re-e-e-ediculous deal on three Muskogees at a local Ace. I know they will get too big for the pots in less time than other varieties, but they would be a variety I wouldn't mind replanting in the landscape later. And, they are the PERFECT size and I didn't have to remove any trunks and they are budding now and I couldn't STAND it...I had to have them. Too good a deal to pass up.

Thanks all for the advice! For future reference, has anyone ever seen the Petite Orchid or Dwarf Royalty crape myrtles sold in the ATL or mid-GA area? They actually sound like what I might like permanently in that space, but I have never seen them.