Tibouchina urvilleana Edwardsii

Tibouchina urvilleana 'Edwardsii' is a very beautiful form of Tibouchina, or Urville Tibone, with particularly wide flowers. It is a bush that irresistibly attracts attention with its beautiful velvety foliage and its dazzling "spider flowers" in a vibrant violet that captures the light in a unique way. This tender plant also has a diva temperament inherited from its Brazilian origins; its cultivation is reserved for knowledgeable enthusiasts or attentive gardeners. Its devastating beauty is worth dedicating a little time to and providing it with the necessary care to meet its few requirements! 

Tibouchina urvilleana (synonyms: Lasiandra semidecandra, Tibouchina semidecandra, Pleroma macrantha) is a large bush or small tree of the Melastomataceae family, native to southern Brazil and naturalised in many tropical and subtropical regions. As such, it appreciates warm and humid atmospheres and the dappled shade provided by tall trees. In its natural environment, it forms a small tree that can reach up to 5m (16ft) in height. In cultivation, in our climates, it rarely exceeds 2.5m (8ft) in height and 1.25m (4ft) in width, if conditions are optimal. Potted plants often remain smaller in size.

The 'Edwardsii' cultivar is mainly distinguished by its wider flowers and slightly more compact habit. Ultimately, the plant reaches about 2m (7ft) in height and 1m (3ft) in width. Its growth is quite fast and its upright habit is moderately branched. It forms a very short trunk from which a few quadrangular-sectioned branches, with a purplish hue, emerge. When young, these branches are covered in pubescence, which later turns a more brownish-grey colour. These thin and brittle stems are very sensitive to wind. They bear particularly ornamental foliage. The evergreen leaves, measuring 8 to 10cm (3 to 4in) in length, are entire and ovate with a tapering tip. They are covered in very soft, transparent hairs, giving the lamina a magnificent silky sheen. They have a more or less dark green colour on the upper side, with a matte appearance on the underside, and are traversed by 3 to 5 highly marked longitudinal veins. Before falling, they take on a lovely orange-red hue. Flowering, which occurs late, begins in August and can last until September-October. If the plant is kept in full light and in a warm and not too dry atmosphere, a few flowers may still appear in winter. But most often, this flowering dwindles in winter, due to reduced sunlight and temperatures. The usually solitary floral buds are tinted purple-red. They open into flowers with a diameter of 10cm (4in), composed of 5 violet, satiny petals arranged in a very open cup shape. The centre of the corolla is occupied by long, recurved and jointed stamens, resembling little legs. All these colours - green, orange, purple, and intense violet - are found on this bush in full bloom, creating a quite fascinating spectacle. The flowering is followed by the formation of decorative frutescent capsules.

The 'Edwardsii' Tibouchina is frost-tender, but it can be grown in the ground in certain well-sheltered areas. It is a sensational plant in full bloom, to be planted alone or at the centre of a bed of more modest plants with long summer flowering. The small orange flowers of shrubby potentillas (Hopley's Orange) or the pink fuchsia to red flowers of shrub salvias will perfectly enhance its large violet flowers. Just like the small yellow bells of Diervilla splendens. Cultivating it in a large pot allows it to be adopted anywhere. It can spend the entire summer outdoors and the winter in a greenhouse, conservatory, or even in a moderately heated room at home.