Princess Flower in container

Closeup of flower

Princess Flower or Glory Bush (Tibouchina spp.) is a tropical shrub (from Brazil) that produces beautiful showy purple flowers. It blooms over a long time span (USDA hardiness zones 9-12).  The most popular species in cultivation is T. urvilleana. A well-tended plant can be trained into a miniature tree in a large container for patios and decks.

This fast growing tropical needs an organic-rich, moist, well-drained soil. Sunlight and proper soil moisture are key components for nurturing a strong healthy plant. Under partial shade, shoot growth tends to be leggy and flower numbers are a lot less. Plant requires frequent (bi-weekly) pinching to increase branching.

Plant should be fed every 3 weeks with a water soluble fertilizer such as Miracle-Gro™ or Jacks™. An alternative nutrition program is to feed a controlled-release fertilizer such as Osmocote™ or Nutrikote™ to soil or container media.

Princess Flower produces 3-inch wide violet or purple flowers, particularly all summer long in southern climes. With proper care a plant in soil may reach 10- 15 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide. In  a large container, expect less than half that size. Heaviest blooming happens in summer and falls of as air temps cool in the fall. In zones 8 (winter low temps around 20-25°F), Princess Flower may flourish through the Thanksgiving holiday. Further north move plant(s) into a greenhouse or sun room. Holdover plants should be cutback hard, repotted, and fed every 4-5 weeks from December thru February.

Popular cultivar is ‘Athens Blue’ with deep purple flowers. Scale, nematodes, and geranium budworm are occasional problems.

Warning: if you live in a warm region where Princess Flower is hardy, remove seed pods to prevent Tibouchina from becoming invasive.