What to do with my tibouchina

Hello everyone
I have a dwarf tibouchina, and it's the kind with leathery type leaves (not fuzzy and rounded).

Do any of you have advice on these beauties? I can't get over how exotic the flowers look. I really wanted the large kind from this one nurseryman 2 years ago but someone reserved them.

Any tips are appreciated. exposure, watering, fertilizing, pruning etc. I still haven't been able to decide exactly where to plant it.

Hi CZP,

I have a tibouchina that I have planted on the east side of my house and gets full sun throughout the morning and into the afternoon. It gets watered about once a week and I have not fertilized it all. During the rainy months of summer, I would spray occasionally with neem oil to help fight off pests and fungal infections. After the blooms are done, I clip it back to the top set of leaves and it keeps going. Overall for me, it seems to be a pretty low maintenance plant.

The one thing to keep in mind (esp for the next few months) is that it is not cold hardy, so if it gets too cold, it will need to be covered.

Hope that helps,
Shauna

Mine is in the ground here in zone 8b, and is about 8' tall - it is cold hardy for me.

Mine was about 7 feet planted in ground and I'm in zone 9A but cold killed it. I probably didn't cover it fast enough.
Would love to have another to try again. Mine has those beautiful clusters like wisteria on it and soft fuzzy leaves.

Bonnie, do you have pictures of yours?

Thanks for the replies everyone!

Shauna, thanks, very encouraging! I would like to plant it on my east exposure, but I think I have a spot chosen in my southeast corner. It has many flower buds now, so I will pay attention to cold nights, and definitely cover it. I didn't know how sensitive it was.

KayJones, wow your plant is big! Do you think mine labeled as a "dwarf" will get that size? I would have to be more wary of where it's being planted.
Bonnie, yours got pretty tall as well, so I feel more confident.

I'll try to remember to take pics of mine too.

I have not grown the 'dwarf' species, but plan to buy one tomorrow - our local Lowe's has them on the mark down table for half price - $9.

If my definition of 'dwarf' is correct, I don't think yours will get as tall as mine is, but I couldn't say for sure.

That's how I got mine! except from the Depot. They go really fast and I'm seeing them appear in everyone's front yard in my area. It'll be interesting to see which ones are fine in spring, if winter is tough.
I have room for a bush but I just don't want to plant it where I'll have to prune it often to get around it.

Sorry Kay, don't have pictures of it. I know it wasn't the dwarf one.

I had one for many years in full sun in the ground, it said it was a dwarf, but it got to be ten feet tall. The two years we had very cold winters did it in though, it never did come back.

Maintain it weekly with a liquid fertilizer, such as miracle grow. In winter months it should make a nice bush.
In Spring give it a bloom promoter and place it out in the Sun. It should get covered with flowers!

I will be careful of winter, which is another reason for me planting it on the south side, and close to the house.

I guess I should forget about calling it a dwarf, Sunkissed!

Thanks Metrosideros, I'm looking forward to the spring blooms! I'm hoping it will get good shade from the large oaks on that side of my house. My yard is almost entirely drenched in sun, except near the trees.

Does anyone have trouble with bees on them? I love my bees but not up close and stinging distance. bees, wasps, bugs &insects in general?

I don't have problem with bees on my Tibouchina. I have hummingbirds on mine!

I have never had any issues with insects on mine.

Lucky for the hummingbirds! I was just wondering, since the bees go straight to the pentas which is next to the tibouchina. The bumblebees seem to be back, so I'm happy to see them.

Coastal,
Just remembered, I have 3 dwarf tibochina against back of pool. Had a whole row but last winter they died. 3 came back 1 real strong and is blooming now. They would be on north side of house. Bought them from a nursery that had them a long time for $3. ea. so didn't pay much attention to them. Think I started out with about 25 cause pool cage is 65 feet long and they were planted along it just before one of my RU's.
Hope your does well.

Thanks Bonnie, I see mostly tree sized tibouchinas or the fuzzy leaved kind in my area, so I will be careful when it gets cold. Mine was $10 so I only got one, but it has 3 individual trunks, so I considered that a bargain, yours really was a bargain!

I've had mine in the ground for 4-5 years now. It gets a bit of shade from the Crepe Myrtle next to it. On the SE side of the house. Freezes back in the Winter & comes back up in Spring. Never gets more than 5' tall.

Mine is now on the SE side of my house too, Qwilter. So that is reassuring. For now, I'm just keeping it hydrated though the rainy days have been helping.

Kay,
I found one. Look down along the house. This was 2006.

http://www.south-florida-plant-guide.com/dwarf-tibouchina.html

this site has some great information on taking care of them. It really is a beautiful plant.

likes a lot of sun, pinch back in spring to keep it from getting to leggy, and to stay in bush form.

Jan

Great site! I will baby it and I'm glad it can take the sun it's getting right now.

Well these few days have been easy on strong sun but tougher with strong gusts. Much to my surprise, nothing dried out too much with the wind. We did get a tiny sprinkle the first night of the cold front.

We are experiencing small spits of rain today, which means so sun...... boo hoo..... I love my FL sun even in the summer time. I think I have to be one of the few who loves the heat that we have in FL.

Jan

I love the heat too, but love it even more when we get rain. I get my rain barrels filled and it waters the plants.

Shauna

I'm looking around for some places to get barrels (food grade ones) to make about 4 of them. I've got four down spouts and that would sure help with the soil run off that is currently occurring from the down spouts. so if you hear of any place down your way that has them for sale, please let me know.

Jan

Jan,
There are always food grade barrels on Craigs list in Orlando and surrounding area.

Bonnie

Thanks, but it is a bit far to go.

This town is the first one I've lived in that the craigslist is mainly pure spam. No job postings, no items for sale that aren't spam. Unbelievable what has happen to my inbox fr craigslist.

I'm looking in Tampa and still not seeing much. The counties from Tampa to Brooksville on Craigslist is like nothing I've ever seen before on the list.

Jan

Jan,

I found this place online, they are based out of Oldsmar.

http://barrelsupply.ucoz.com/


I have blooms starting to form on my tibouchina now.

shauna

thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

Blooms, I can't wait to see your pictures of it once it blooms.

Jan

Jan - I'd check with local feed places. THe best place to get them on my side, doesn't advertise at all.
Better yet, check with your County Ag office. Bet they either have a supply on hand or can tell you where to get them.

I have 2 hooked up and 1 that I need to get attached, hopefully this week. Then I need to make a run to pick up 3 more. Can only get 3 in my SUV. I get the nice ones with tops that screw off. I like being able to look in & see how much I have. I put a piece of screen across the top to keep critters & debris out.

Thanks Qwilter, I check with the local county extension, they want way too much money.

late last night I found to local places and they are food grade and they are selling for 10 bucks a piece that is more like it. they have white and blue, I want the white, but I also don't want what the white does to the water inside...LOL so I'm gonna go with the blue and maybe paint them white since the dark color will be underneath which will help.

Jan