Tibouchina ‘Jules’

Tibouchina 'Jules' (Tibouchina 'Jules') gives you the deep purple autumn flowers of the big tibouchinas on a plant that stops at about 80cm tall and 80cm wide. That is the whole point of it: the tree forms need real space, this one fits a pot, a balcony or the front of a border. Velvety dark green leaves hold the shape year round, and the display arrives when most gardens have gone quiet.

Why you'll love it

• Dwarf, not just compact. At roughly 80cm each way it stays where you put it, unlike the tree tibouchinas it is bred from.
• Colour when you need it. The purple flush comes in autumn, filling the gap between the summer flowers and winter.
• Built for warm, humid summers. It handles heat and humidity together, so it performs through a tropical or subtropical wet season.
• Low maintenance. One trim after flowering is the entire annual job.

Where it works best

Pots, balconies and courtyards. A 300mm to 400mm pot holds it comfortably for years. Its size and its habit of flowering at eye level make it one of the better small shrubs for a sunny balcony.

Borders, mass planting and small gardens. Plant 60cm apart for a massed autumn display, where the plants merge into a continuous purple band rather than reading as separate dots. Three or five along a path give the colour of a full sized tibouchina without the pruning bill.

Growing Tibouchina 'Jules' 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 in cooler southern and tableland gardens grow it in a pot you can move under cover.

Soil. Slightly acidic and free draining suits it best. Work compost through the bed, and on clay plant on a raised mound. It dislikes lime, so keep it away from fresh concrete.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then deep soak whenever the topsoil dries. It is not drought tolerant. Feed with a controlled release fertiliser for acid loving plants in early spring and after flowering.

Pruning. Trim lightly as soon as the autumn flowers finish. This keeps the plant dense and sets up the next display, because the buds form on growth made during the warm months.

What to expect when it arrives

Three sizes are grown: a single tube, 140mm in a pack of 10 and 200mm in a pack of 6. Tubes are young plants and the value option if you are patient, taking a full season to bulk up. The 140mm and 200mm packs suit a border or massed bed, since the plants are matched and already branching.

Tubes are at their most economical planted in numbers, so most customers order a run or combine sizes rather than a single plant. Plants are packed upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect new growth within four to six weeks in warm weather, and a reliable flowering by the second autumn. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Growing tibouchinas in Australian gardens
• More shrubs sized for small gardens
• Plants that hold up in containers
• Bee and butterfly friendly planting

Common questions

How big does it actually get?

About 80cm tall and 80cm wide at maturity. That is a genuine dwarf, well short of the tree tibouchinas, so it will not need the hard annual pruning those varieties demand.

Will it survive frost?

It is frost tender. Light frost damages the soft growth and a hard frost can kill a young plant outright. In cold gardens grow it in a pot and shift it to shelter through winter.

When does it flower, and can I get more flowers?

Autumn is the main display. The surest way to increase it is a light trim straight after flowering plus feeding in early spring, because the buds form on growth made over the warm months.