The flowers on this are HUGE. It's in part shade, only gets a couple hours of direct sun and has been blooming for months.
Tibouchina
cala thats lovely----reminds me of clemats on steriods
I love my tibouchina. Thanks Kell.
Couldn't get them to bloom last year. This year, I grew this one in a pot and it has bloomed non-stop.
Suzie and Brugie, yours is really pretty; mine does not have such big blooms, but has lots of them!
Well, ladies, tibouchina starts from cuttings pretty easily too. While visiting in the Bay Area of California I saw this for the first time and was able to get some cutting to root after I got home. Cala, I bet this will live outside year round when you get to your Texas location.
Yep Lenjo, I think they will. I leave mine outside, they die back in winter but pop right up in the spring.
Lenjo, next time you visit the Bay Area, give me a call and we can talk gardening stuff!
I have the tibouchina heteromalla, which I chose as I love those big velvety leaves. Like lambs' ears, everyone wants to touch them. The flowers are smaller, multiple ones on spikes, but they are the same brilliant purple. H. heteromalla also has a sturdier shape than H. urvilleana. Regular deep watering and acid fertilizer keep them happy. Too much sun sunburns the leaves, and they don't like spots that are too windy either, altho my garden gets a fair amount of occasional gusty winds.
Lenjo, can you tell me how you do the cuttings? I'd like to hold mine over, but it is too big unless they can go dormant in the basement.
I didn't know there were so many different tibouchinas. I have had the dark purple for several years, got a lavender one this year, not blooming at the time, so I thought it was dark purple. Now brugie has a blue one and bward has a spiked one. How many others?
Gingerlily, mine is actually purple. For some reason, this is the only plant I have that is purple that comes out blue when I take pictures of it. Wish it was blue.
I have several of these as trees. I just love them!!!
Oh and I just happened to read today that there are over 200 varieties of this plant.
This message was edited Monday, Aug 18th 1:46 AM
Thanks Kell,you just had to put that picture up!!!I am going to have to hijack some of my neighbors yard next year,what am I saying?I already have!
Gorgeous Susie!
Kell, I can only hope my little tree will grow that big! How old is that one?
Root, I think we need to get CC's big truck and make a trip to Calif!
I have 2 of them side by side in the front that are good sized for I did not cut them back last spring. They like a hard pruning and they grow much denser. It will flower lightly right up to a frost if we get one! I have them freeze to the ground rarely but they come back up. I really can't remember when I planted these. Awhile back. They grow quite alot every year.
Looks like a doctored oak tree to me, Kell. You better tell us that's not the real thing!
Kell, Is it the tree in the background or the smaller ones in front? If it is the ones in front, What is the tall tree in the back with the purple flowers?
I think it is the tall one in the back. The front look like potato bushes. Both are gorgeous.
Brugie is right. The ones in the front are actually 1 plant that I trained into 6 or 7 heads. Itis a Solanum rantonnetii.
Kell, you are truly amazing!!!
Kell, that is a cool idea. They sure look great the way you have them trained. I'd love to see all your flowers in person.
Brugie, you can try that with yours! LOL