Tibouchina ‘Skylab’

Tibouchina 'Skylab' (Tibouchina 'Skylab') is the compact way to get that deep purple autumn display into a small garden. It holds at about 1.5m tall and 1.2m wide, roughly a third the size of an Alstonville, so it fits a courtyard bed or a large pot with no pruning battle. The velvety evergreen leaves look good year round, then vanish under flower as the season turns.

Why you'll love it

• The colour arrives when the garden needs it. Most shrubs finish by summer's end. This one saves its display for autumn.
• Small enough for a courtyard. At 1.5m by 1.2m it fits a narrow bed or a balcony pot.
• Velvet foliage all year. Evergreen, with soft ribbed leaves that catch the light even out of flower.
• Bees and butterflies find it fast. The open flowers are easy landing pads late in the season.
• Low maintenance by nature. One tidy up after flowering is the whole pruning job.

Where it works best

Feature planting in a small garden. One plant does the work of a whole bed once it flowers, so give it a spot you see from inside, ideally against a pale wall that makes the purple read stronger. In a row along a fence, space plants 1.2m apart so each keeps its rounded shape.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A pot 400mm or wider suits it and keeps it at the smaller end of its size range. Potted plants dry out fast in summer, so be honest about whether you will water it.

Growing Tibouchina 'Skylab' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the heaviest flowering, though it takes afternoon shade in hot inland gardens. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate zones. It is frost tender, so cooler districts need a warm sheltered wall or a pot that moves under cover for winter. Drying wind shreds the soft leaves.

Soil. Free draining and on the acidic side. Work compost through the bed before planting and use a mix for acid loving plants in pots. Waterlogged clay is the fastest way to lose one.

Water and feed. Deep soakings twice a week through the first summer, then weekly in dry spells. Feed with a fertiliser for acid loving plants in early spring and again after flowering.

Pruning. Cut back by about a third once the last flowers finish, which keeps it dense and sets up the next display. Avoid pruning in late winter, because the buds form on the growth that follows.

What to expect when it arrives

This variety is grown as tube stock, so what arrives is a young single stemmed plant of around 15cm to 25cm. It is not an instant feature. Tube stock establishes quickly because the roots are undisturbed, and a warm first season should give you a shapely 60cm to 80cm plant by year's end.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Plant yours out within a few days, keep the water up for the first month, and hold off heavy feeding until you see new growth. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to grow and care for tibouchina
• Browse plants for subtropical climates
• Shop plants suited to pots and balconies
• Compare shrubs for small gardens

Common questions

How is it different from Alstonville tibouchina?

Size, mostly. Alstonville grows into a small tree of 4m or more, while 'Skylab' settles at about 1.5m by 1.2m. The purple is similar, so choose this one when you want the display without the height.

Will it survive frost?

It is frost tender, and a hard frost burns the soft new growth. In frosty gardens grow it in a pot you can shift under eaves for winter, or plant it against a north facing wall.

Why are the leaves going yellow?

Usually alkaline soil locking up iron, which shows as yellowing between green veins. Feed with a fertiliser for acid loving plants and mulch with composted pine bark.