Tibouchina

[charlie]

Just wondering which species folk have had success with growing here in the UK? There is something about the combination for foliage and flower I find very attractive but I have only tried 3 of what I believe is a large Genus.
First up the ubiquitous T. urvilleana I have tried this in the ground as in this picture but although the winter doesn't kill them here they never get big enough the following year to flower so I stick to pots and bring them into the Conservatory for the winter and they normally reward me with flowers right through to April.

Tibouchina urvilleana 080 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Tibouchina urvilleana 007 by charliepridham, on Flickr

The second species I have is a trickier plant to grow and that is T. grandifolia, the flower spikes are much different, it is sadly more tender and does not survive winter outdoors here. If I remember to cut it back and repot it lives up to its specific name of grandifolia with wonderful large leaves

Tibouchina grandifolia by charliepridham, on Flickr

070 by charliepridham, on Flickr

Lastly the third species I grow is by far the easiest as it can stay out all winter and flowers reliably every year and that is Tibouchina paratropica. Although if you protect the plants you will get a woody shrub (all be it an untidy one!) I find it behaves as a herbaceous perennial here

tibouchina paratropica 020 by charliepridham, on Flickr

While over in California we saw several clearly different sorts but have never seen anything other than those above here in the UK

[Chad]

Lovely plants.

I can't get to grip with classification in the Melastomataceae.

Tibouchina was a mess and has been 'tidied up' to add to my incomprehension.

Tibouchina urvilleana is now Pleroma urvilleanum.

Tibouchina grandifolia was never a good name, I think it was probably Tibouchina heteromalla which is now Pleroma heteromallum.

Tibouchina paratropica never felt like it was close to the others and is now Chaetogastra paratropica.

Interestingly Tibouchina grossa [the red one], again not looking like the others, has gone with paratropica to become Chaetogastra grossa. Mine is sulking in the tunnel having been planted out into the soil in Crug compost that I didn't knock off the root ball. I'm hoping it will settle as it roots into the soil.

Tibouchina urvilleana 'Variegata' probably wasn't in the right species, and should have been Tibouchina lepidota [narrower and tough leaves, though I'm sure there is a better botanical division!], and has gone to a third genus as Andesanthus lepidotus Variegated.

Those names are all from 2019 and are accepted by Kew, RHS doesn't yet recognise the changes.

Chad
ps. Spell checker isn't working for me today, sorry if there are a lot of typos!

[charlie]

I fear those name changes have come too late in life! I will stick to the old ones for now in the hope they move back where they came from.

I do seem to remember David Feix saying it was heteromalla not grandifolia but everyone who asks for it wants grandiflora and as thats what Gerald Luckhurst called it when he planted it on Madeira I shall be a Dinosaur and stick to grandifolia!

I have to agree though that paratropica isn't like the other two.

How red is red with Tibouchina grossa?

[Chad]

Hmmm,

Tibouchina grandifolia?

Bad name - not cleanly linked to a single recognised species!

Chad

[flounder]

Once again I'm trying T. Urvilleana £1.69 from Lidl. This falls within my price range but I've found they perish mainly through lack of winter light as much as winter cold and wet.

[charlie]

I wonder why you have such problems? I have found them fairly undemanding are you perhaps keeping them too warm over winter?

[Chad]

Once again I'm trying T. Urvilleana £1.69 from Lidl. This falls within my price range but I've found they perish mainly through lack of winter light as much as winter cold and wet.

I wonder why you have such problems? I have found them fairly undemanding are you perhaps keeping them too warm over winter?

Flounder is from Brighton.

Hmmm.

Chalk?

Tibouchina are calcifuge, but in pots almost all compost goes acid quite quickly.

What are you potting into?

Chad

[flounder]

For most of my 'Mediterranean' type plants I use a mix of MPC(cheap stuff), perlite, coarse sand and home made compost. Usual watering is with rain water. For under 2 quid I'm not too fussed about the loss, it's a cheap and colourful summer pot filler.
When I do protect, the greenhouse is about 5 degrees c. This doesn't happen too often, as there is a whole host of other stuff that take precedence for winter protection!

[durnovaria]

I will keep to the old names.Because i am old! :D .I have grown T.Urvilleana and the variegated form.The latter reverted quite badly.I have just ordered Edwardsii which might be less vigorous and may have larger flowers.Has any one grown this form?.

[charlie]

Yes I grow it, gets just as leggy!