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Hi, folks. I don't think about trees much, except to care for them. I can't remember when I've ever purchased a tree in order to plant for a specific plant design element. But I want to plant a white crepe myrtle at the opposite end of my front yard landscape from a dwarf multi-trunk magnolia.
I hope to provide year-round interest with the shape, leaves, flowers. For both design purposes and because the tree will rest under a 60+YO Modesto Ash (shade about 5 hours a day) I expect/want it to be a small little guy, multi-trunk. I've looked at both big box and local nurseries. I find both single trunk at the ground with multi-branches (it would seem) moving out from the ground, as well as apparently large shrubs. In either case I see a specimen which has no single or multiple trunks moving front ground level and continuously upward with branches off those main trunks. They have been pruned multiple times, with said trunks lacking a smooth visual movement, but rather with geometrical back and forth, sideways, returning upward, yadda yadda yadda.
Is it reasonable to look for a specimen with said multiple (3-5) smooth trunks growing upward with branches pruned off/growing from these trunks?
Oh, and another thing, they all seem to be "chopped off" at a particular height, say 6-8 feet. Shouldn't tree trunks be encouraged to simply grow until they reach a desirable height? (which perhaps the grower deemed to be what I saw)
I am thinking perhaps a large shrub specimen, or one of the dwarfish trees.
Can you provide me with some help, wisdom, here? I'm baffled.
Linda
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