Have you had any rain, do you have sprinklers, does it need water? It has been so hot, that would be my first guess, it is thirsty maybe...?

I have 3 myrtles. The one in the back is getting lots of water because I'm trying to get the grass/weeds to fill in. The two in the front get only rain water. The difference between the myrtle getting regular water is amazing. It is full of beautiful green leaves and loads of flowers. The other two are stunted and show almost no new growth.

So, I'd go with lack of water being the problem. Or, maybe too much water?

I'm sure your crape is just shocky and needs time , cool weather and plenty to drink until it gets established .
Two months is an awfully short time for a tree to be in the ground and still withstand the heat .
Newly planted Trees need to be watering every day in this heat .
Water at least for an entire year but back off from daily over time to every week then every other week , etc .
It can take three years for a tree to be properly established .

I have an irrigation system and water once a week. I can bump up the watering of the bush daily before I come into work. Thanks for all of your inputs. Just read this and it seems under watering may be the issue:

Watering. Crape Myrtle trees should be watered 1-5 times each week, depending on the time of year the tree was planted, as well as the type of soil being utilized. A mature Crape Myrtle will prove to be relatively drought resistant. Younger trees, however, will require adequate water, especially during extended dry periods. Light green leaves can be a sign of over watering, while drooping leaves can be a sign of both over or under watering.

Just wanted to make sure. We had a hibiscus that exhibited the same issue and it was aphids, not watering. I watered the crape myrtle last night and it's already looking better today!

* Posted by love_the_yard z9A Jax FL (My Page) on
Tue, Jun 15, 10 at 16:38
On almost any plant:
- Brown, crispy dry leaves are a sign of under-watering. Plant needs water - it is too dry.
- Yellow, dropping leaves are a sign of over-watering. Plant does NOT need water - it is too wet.

I planted a 16' multi-trunk River Birch in our front yard this spring. It's been in the ground for about 3 months now. And I've noticed that every once a while I notice yellow leaves on the tree. And it's always after I haven't watered for a couple days. I started out watering everyday, and in the last 6 weeks or so I water every other or every 3rd day. This is central Florida. VERY dry right now. And it seems like the yellow leaves are a sign it's dry. I know that "goes against the rules", but it seems that way with this tree. If I see yellow leaves, I usually also see no new leaves. So I water the heck out of it, and the next day, I see new leaves sprouting. It's happened about 3 times now.
Sorry about hijacking the OP's post. Just had to add that comment....

johnb352, there are no absolutes when it comes to plants, so it's good to get other points of view. It's been hot here in SW FL as well, but we got some big storms today. Maybe rainy season will start soon!

I just planted a crape meyrtle in a whiskey barrel and it’s droping it’s leaves and looking unhealthy ?? Leaves are yellow ! It’s very hot here like in the 100s so I can’t imagine if I’m over watering ? Help!!