I also don't think that it should have been put in water. The best solution would have been for the donor to wrap the roots in wet paper towels or newspaper, then placed the whole thing in an open plastic bag. This sort of treatment (not the drowning part) might have been ok if it had been the winter, but not with the seedling in full foliage. It only takes a very little time for the tender roots to dry out after being exposed to the air, and just as little time for them to drown if placed in water. Truly, visit your local garden centers, big box stores, and maybe even the grocery stores! You can find small crapes for very little money.

I think the "tube to get water to the roots" was a mistake. They did the same thing locally at the community college on advice of the contract landscaper -- lots of dead trees with 2 to 4 years. I suggest you abandon the tube and instead water from the "top" and allow the water to soak into the ground. Build a dike just outside what would (should?) be the rootball, then fill it 3 successive times at an individual watering (hope that makes sense). I'd also test to see if the trees are rooted in. To do so, grasp the trunk at about 3 feet from the ground -- in other words, bend your elbow at a right angle, then grasp the trunk. (Phew; this is easier when I talk to someone face-to-face!) Next, rock the trunk back and forth while watching the soil at the base of the tree. If the soil moves, the tree didn't root in. So that's also a guide for your watering dike. Make a dike at the edge of that wobbly rootball and a 2nd one a foot or so beyond it. Water within both dikes -- as said above, filling it at least 3 times. Later -- perhaps an hour or more -- stick a trowel into the ground. How deep did the water go? If not sufficiently deep, add more water. The soil between the two rings will remain moist for a long time because roots aren't there yet. The inner ring will need to be watered more often because the roots are there! To know for certain when to water again, check the soil with a finger or trowel.

I bought and planted a crepe myrtle from a central Louisiana nursery, and bought it when it was in bloom. It was dark bright pink, and for several years after it bloomed as such. I have had it for about 15-20 years. I live in deep south Texas on the coast. For the past few years it has had a mix of bright pink and light pink-whiter blooms at the same time. It is only one trunk which branches at about 3 feet off the ground, and the blooms are evenly distributed, so I think it is something lacking in our soil. usually it tests at about neutral, where La. soil is usually acidic,or else I am bleaching the blooms with gray water. Which is what we use to water our yard freq.

Agree with PK, it looks fine. You don’t have to overthink or obsess over these, trust us! Just keep it watered the first 1-2 yrs, til established. The amount will depend on various factors — amount of sun, soil, wind, temps, etc. Stick your finger in the ground and see if it’s dry. I’ve grown them over 25 yrs in heavy clay, no amending of soil is necessary. My newest one is a few weeks old now, and I water it once a week if no rain. More mulch is fine, just not up against the trunk. If your winters are extreme, that will probably keep the size in check. Otherwise, yes, Catawbas can get nearly as wide as tall. You might want to ask at a local nursery if CMs die back in your area in winter ... if yes, it should send shoots out the next spring. If if you want it to be tree form, go ahead and snip off the lower branches. If not, leave them. Either way is fine, personal preference.