Tibouchinas (which used to be known as lasiandras) have purple or pink flowers in late summer or autumn, with some varieties flowering during winter. They range in size from small shrubs (the variety ‘Jules’ is a shrub to 1m (3′) tall) to tall trees (up to 8m (25′) tall) which can be grown to any height with the correct pruning procedures.
Climate
Tibouchinas will grow in most warm to cool temperate regions of Australia but are not suited to cool mountain districts or the warmest parts of tropical Australia.
Pruning
Tibouchinas can be pruned at any time of the year. Regular pruning will thicken the foliage and leave the plant with a nice rounded shape. Use secateurs or pruning shears to prune. In particular pruning shears with a hook on top of a long pole make it easy to prune the tops of trees from ground level by hooking on to the branch and pulling and cutting it away from the rest of the tree. It is advisable to cut above any new shoots showing on the branches as these will quickly grow, thicken and produce more flowers through late summer and autumn.
Tip: Growing next to the pruned tibouchina was a variegated meterosideros (Metersideros kermadecensis ‘Variegatus’) which had some all green leaves growing from the variegated branches. These indicate that the tree is reverting to its original green foliage. If you want to retain the variegated appearance on any variegated plants always remove any leaves that revert back to pure green.
Further information
Tibouchinas are available year round from your local nursery with many potted plants in flower in autumn.