Don’s Tips: Tibouchinas

 

Tibouchinas

Tibouchinas

As you fly into most cities and towns of Australia at the moment, you’ll see purple dots before your eyes. 

If you are sober, these are almost certainly tibouchinas – which are purple flowering shrubs.  The two favourites are Alstonville which grows 5m or so tall & Jules which is a small shrub growing to about 1m.

These are hardy plants in the middle to warmer areas of Australia.  There are also a few new varieties:

A much improved tibouchina variety that flowers for nine months of the year called either Carol Lynn or Jazzie.

A variegated-leaved one called Olivia that produces dazzling pink leaf variegations in winter.

Tibouchinas are for all but the coldest areas of Australia.

If you have an old Tibouchina that’s a bit straggly remember that they love to be pruned.  Prune Tibouchinas in late winter, after the danger of frosts has gone.

Hooroo!