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stephenprudence
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:33 pm Posts: 342 Location: Heswall, Wirral, UK (Zone 9a)
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Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
I thought i'd share this with you all.. I love this species as it ticks all the boxes and looks good in this sheltered outdoor area all year around. One of my favourite plants.. i originally brought it at a houseplant centre within a garden centre and I just had to take it.. that was about 3 years ago
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Thu Sep 28, 2017 6:01 pm |
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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Re: Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
Interesting Stephen how does it take the frost does it defoliate. I ask as my sister has just bought me one back from Cornwall. Do you grow Oleander if so how comparable to this is this Tibouchina?
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Thu Sep 28, 2017 6:58 pm |
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stephenprudence
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:33 pm Posts: 342 Location: Heswall, Wirral, UK (Zone 9a)
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Re: Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
It hasn't defoliated yet, but it is extremely sheltered, in between two walls, frost rarely catches it as it has partial overhead cover, but snow, rain and cold winds can.. nevertheless it seems ok. I think very sheltered is the key to it really. Outdoors without any shelter/in exosure this would probably go downhill even in relatively mild situations.. I think Oleander is much hardier.
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Thu Sep 28, 2017 7:04 pm |
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charliepridham
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:42 pm Posts: 1925 Location: Cornwall
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Re: Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
Experience here is that if it loses top growth due to cold it will happily regrow in spring but won't reach flowering before winter so you either have to find that perfect spot that keeps the stems alive through winter or plunge out new plants each year. One of my favourite things too, looks like this year T. grandifolia will get to flower before I have to bring it in for the winter
_________________ Charlie, Growing climbers in Cornwall http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
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Fri Sep 29, 2017 9:05 am |
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Kev Spence
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:59 pm Posts: 10902 Location: Loughborough, Leics, central UK
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Re: Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
Thanks for the info guys T.grandifolia is a cracking plant I. always remember the large one outside the caves in Madeira. Charlie do you or can you grow Oleander I just wondered how it compares?.
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Fri Sep 29, 2017 7:50 pm |
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charliepridham
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:42 pm Posts: 1925 Location: Cornwall
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Re: Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
I grow one but have never bothered trying it outside so I don't know. Tibouchina is very sensitive to cold and a plus 2 or 3 is normally enough to defoliate it, bit of warm house wall is the way to go! Fortunately they are easy and quick from cuttings
_________________ Charlie, Growing climbers in Cornwall http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
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Sat Sep 30, 2017 8:18 am |
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Stan
Joined: Wed Oct 31, 2007 5:52 pm Posts: 10687 Location: Hayward- S.F. Bay area Ca.
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Re: Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
They dont need a hot summer to thrive. They are happy in foggy SF. They tend to grow viney and shrubs can fall over. But,I've been tempted to try one. At this point in my life looks nice for a plant,trumps ( booooo) simple rarity. Off topic: If Mick Jagger is a Sir,why are none of the Monty Python gangs made one?
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Sat Sep 30, 2017 11:48 pm |
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stephenprudence
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:33 pm Posts: 342 Location: Heswall, Wirral, UK (Zone 9a)
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Re: Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
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Sun Oct 08, 2017 8:42 pm |
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David Matzdorf
Site Admin
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 4:06 pm Posts: 5321 Location: Islington, London UK
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Re: Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
I grew Tibouchina urvilleana here outdoors for three years. It managed milder winters, under evergreen canopy, down to a brief overnight -3ºC, but it declined gradually and the first sustained hard freeze killed it. If it's hardened off, it will certainly survive light frosts and return to flower again the following year, as large specimens in colder parts of the Bay Area will testify.
_________________ 51º33'07"N x 0º07'21"W
43m (142 feet) ASL
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Sun Oct 08, 2017 9:41 pm |
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charliepridham
Joined: Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:42 pm Posts: 1925 Location: Cornwall
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Re: Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
The following two pictures show the story here both taken yesterday
First this plant, planted on a west facing wall in 2004, as you can see its still alive and well but since its first year no sign of flowers, dies to the ground each winter. bit pointless but I live in hope!
by , on Flickr
In contrast to this plant which was a cutting taken in 2016 and planted out in spring this year
by , on Flickr
If you are near the coast or in an urban heat island then its likely you will have better luck with permanent planting, for me I have had to accept that if I want flowers they need to over winter frost free.
_________________ Charlie, Growing climbers in Cornwall http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
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Thu Oct 12, 2017 10:00 am |
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stephenprudence
Joined: Fri Aug 01, 2008 8:33 pm Posts: 342 Location: Heswall, Wirral, UK (Zone 9a)
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Re: Tibouchina urvilleana in shelter UK
It's one of those knife edge plants.. either it'll grow extremely well, as it does for me, because of some shelter, or it fails and dies at the first sniff of frost. Mine manages to flower year round almost, even in the cold weather, so shelter is the way forward. I also used to grow Justicia rizzinii under this area, which is from the same area.. it also did very well.
I was first alerted to the possibilities of this plant by someone local who grew Tibouchina outside all year round with some leaf loss occasionally. I'm glad I took the risk too now.
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Tue Oct 31, 2017 9:04 pm |
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