My local HD had dozens of them last spring and summer. There tends to be a lot of uniformity in HD selections, so you might give yours a try in the spring. I think I got my Dynamites at their summer clearance later into the season ($3.00 each I believe)--One even bloomed the very first season. I've seen the reds around here and they are really nice but I also have no problems with more magenta tones. Attached is a photo of the Zuni from last summer. Happy huntin' Here is a link that might be useful:

The two most likely possibilities are 1. a water/drainage issue and 2. temperature shock. You should test your soil with your finger to see when your tree needs water. When the soil about an inch below the surface just starts to dry out, it's time to water. You don't want the soil at root level to dry out. You also don't want to overwater, but that's not likely if you have well draining soil. Just check! Remember that slow, deep watering is much better than brief, shallow, frequent watering. Other issues can be associated with water problems besides the actual quantity and frequency of water. Drainage is a key factor. Hopefully your soil has at least average drainage and you didn't amend your soil when planting the tree. Planting depth is also important. Hopefully your tree was planted so that the top root was approximately at the level of surrounding soil. It's important not to plant too deep. Another issue is drainage between rootball and surrounding soil. If your tree was potted, you'll want to check the rootball and the surrounding soil when you check for moisture levels. It's possible for the rootball to dry out before the surrounding soil or for the surrounding soil to dry out before the rootball. Either of these conditions can lead to problems. The second possibility was temperature shock. Crape (not crepe, btw) myrtles around here have not yet leafed out. Since you said yours had, it makes me consider the possibility that it may have been grown in a greenhouse and not properly hardened off before planting. If that is the case, the sudden jolt it got when entering the real world could have made it drop some of its leaves. If this is the case, I think there's a good chance it will recover. The only thing you can do for now is provide proper watering, mulch it correctly (if you haven't already done that), and sit back and watch to see how it does. Here is a link that might be useful: Proper Way to Plant a Tree or Shrub

The point about the grapes would be that shrubs or climbers planted close together will still develop adequately. Shrubs planted to form a drift, as in a mixed border will often be quite close together. As with a row of shrubs planted to form a hedge, the grouping becomes the unit rather than the individual shrub - it does not matter that their individual tops do not grow as wide as if they were planted as widely spaced, solitary specimens. "Growth: The plant is a vigorous upright grower when young. The selected plant reached a height of seven feet in three years in the field with minimum care. Height with age may reach 20 feet or more. Vegetative growth is rapid in spring and continues until summer when flowering begins. Only modest growth occurs after flowering begins. Unlike most crape myrtle varieties which produce many vertical stems with moderate side branches, this new crape myrtle produces a vigorous growing central stem with moderate side branches, thus creating an upright tree form. If the central stem is cut or killed then a proliferation of upright stems result." Here is a link that might be useful: Crape Myrtle shrub named `Whit II`

Unfortunately, the pictures aren't coming close to showing the almost deep purple of the blooms that are present in real life. But you can still pick up the pinkish hues. Has anyone run into Dynamite trees this pink?