I think I saw someone else describe the effect as "weeping" --- long branches with large flowers at the end pulling the branches over into a "weeping" effect.

There are a lot of variables here. Different cultivars of crape myrtles grow differently. Some naturally have a more spreading habit and others grow more upright. The only way I can imagine pruning would have cause this is if side shoots were routinely removed or the tree had been cut back to the ground and then allowed to regrow. As the tree matures, more side branches should develop.

How many trunks do your crapes have? Are some upright while others are weeping? If so, you might be able to select the more upright stems and prune away the others. Staking might be required in some situations. Pictures might result in better answers, maybe.

Joel,

I slightly misread your post initially. Are you wanting to duplicate what you've seen, avoid it, or just know more about it?

There are many many cultivars of both semi-red (dark pink to reddish purple) and white crapes. True reds are rarer. It would be hard to easily and positively identify many white or redish varieties. If the trees you are seeing are really red, they might be 'Arapaho' (usually upright), 'Cheyenne' (rounded), 'Whit II'/Dynamite (usually upright), 'Whit IV'/Red Rocket(usually upright), or 'Whit VII'/Siren Red. 'Whit V'/Tightwad is another true red selection, but has a dense half-circle dwarf mound habit.

White crapes include 'Acoma', 'Alba', 'Whit VI'/Burgundy Cotton, 'Byer's Wonderful White', 'Dwarf Snow', 'Dwarf White', 'Glendora White', 'Natchez', 'New Snow', 'Petite Snow', 'Sarah's Favorite', etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sample List of Many Crape Myrtle Varieties

Thank you Schmoo and Brandon.

I want to DUPLICATE the weeping look.

Brandon, I have already looked at that site (thank you for providing) but the pictures are generally only of the blooms and not the full specimen.

For the Red, I prefer the true red (they will have full sun) lining a driveway and one side of a pond (to form a reflecting pool).

I HOPE to have time late this afternoon to get some pictures of some reds and whites with the "weeping" habit to better show what I am talking about. If not this afternoon, certainly this weekend.

Thank you both again for your assistance.

Sincerely,

Joel

The site I linked above was just to give you an idea that there were many varieties. It might be a place to start, but wasn't meant as a main info source, just an example of some of the lists of available crapes. Most of these lists, including the one I linked, provide a description of the tree's form.

One good way to find pictures of mature crapes is to google the cultivar and trade names. You're likely to get more, and more dependable, info if you use an "a" in "crape" when you do the search. Of course always get multiple sources to verify that what you are looking at is the actual variety listed. I frequently find mislabeled plants online (especially on Dave's Garden).

Thanks again Brandon. Good advice which I will follow.