It is ideal for small gardens, used as a border, or planted in tubs or containers in warm protected courtyards.īest climate: Tibouchinas will grow in most areas of Australia, but are not suited to cool mountain districts or inland areas. ‘Jules’ is the most sensitive of the tibouchinas to cold and frost. It has small velvet green leaves, and purple flowers from March to May. Tibouchina ‘Jules’ (Tibouchina ‘Jules’)Ī dwarf evergreen shrub, growing to about 1m (3′) high and 1-2m (3-6′) wide. It makes an excellent street or specimen tree, and responds very well to pruning. ‘Alstonville’ puts on a brilliant display of violet/purple flowers in late summer and autumn. The foliage is dark green in colour with a pale reverse. Plant details Tibouchina ‘Alstonville’ (Tibouchina ‘Alstonville’)Īn evergreen shrub or small tree which usually grows to about 5m (15′) tall. His life and work was celebrated in a special song, composed in his honour. Ken also produced a wonderful dwarf bottlebrush called Callistemon ‘Little John’. Both plants were produced at Alstonville, on the New South Wales north coast, by the late Ken Dunstan.

Don looked at Tibouchina ‘Alstonville’, probably the best of the larger growing kinds, and Tibouchina ‘Jules’, a dwarf variety. Here in Australia tibouchinas also make quite a statement in autumn, with their riot of purple flowers. Tibouchinas are native to south-east Brazil, where people use the massed purple blooms to decorate churches at Easter time.

Small tree with purple flowers