“Wow” is all I can say about this deer-resistant, striking, fuzzy-leafed plant with glorious royal deep-purple flowers. I have two Tibouchinas in my garden in Cambria on the California coast. One Tibouchina lives in a pot on the deck; a Tibouchina urvilleana or Princess Flower with large single purple blooms. Also, planted in the soil near the front entrance of our home is a Tibouchina heteromalla Silver Leafed Princess Flower or Glory Bush with many small purple flowers on a multi-flowered spikes.
Tibouchina heteromalla is the smaller of the two varieties-growing from 4 to 6 feet tall. The larger Princess Flower, Tibouchina urvilleana, grows 10-15 feet tall. Both can handle full sun but in hotter areas they appreciate afternoon shade. If you have an east facing area that captures the morning sun, your Tibouchina will certainly reward you with many spectacular purple summer blooms.
Location, Care, and Water
Both varieties of Tibouchina can be grown in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 and 11 so many of these beautiful plants are seen in Central Coast gardens. While not perfectly adapted to our relatively dry surroundings, they are worth the bit of extra water required to grow them. Their roots need to be kept moist so I supplement our clay earth with organic, rich mulch, feeding them every few weeks in the growing season and giving them a good soak about once a week. This is more attention than I give to the easy-going Mediterranean plants that occupy other areas of my garden but the effort required is well worth the reward.
Pruning and Shaping
To prevent the Tibouchina from getting leggy, it needs to be dead-headed and pinched back after blooming. I neglected to do that this past year and had to do some heavy pruning when spring arrived. I hope I’ll have some summer blooms to enjoy in a few months. It’s all about the color for me; I love it! I’ll post a picture this August so you can be the judge of the results.
