Tibouchina Lepidota

Description

Masses of sizeable, sumptuous, beautiful royal-purple blooms open wide, amidst velvet leaves, constantly from March or April. These continue all through autumn and sometimes into early winter, or even all-year-round in warmer climates. Perfect trained as a shrub, or even allowed to grow finally into a small tree, it is one of the world's most spectacular plants. In the wild, Tibouchina lepidota is fairly widespread in montane and cloud forests of the Andes mountains between Venezuela and Peru from 800 to 3200 m, and therefore has a considerable measure of hardiness.

Sowing Advice

These seeds have been cold-stored and should be sown on receipt. Sow very thinly onto the surface of a pot containing a mixture of peat, sterilised fine soil or loam, and grit, and very gently water the seeds in. DO NOT cover them with compost. The seed tray is then best left in a warm well-lit spot and kept moist. Germination usually takes only 4-8 weeks at most, but may take much longer. Plant out in well-drained moist soil.

Key Facts