2011 Holiday Gift Ideas

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Plant of the Day - Tibouchina semidecandra (Princess Flower)

Tibouchina semidecandra
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Rosidae
Order: Myrtales
Family: Melastomataceae
Genus: Tibouchina
Species: T. semidecandra
Binomial name: Tibouchina semidecandra

Tibouchina semidecandra, the princess flower, glory bush, or lasiandra, is a sprawling, evergreen shrub or small ornamental tree native to Brazil and ranges from 10 to 15 feet (20 feet with proper training) in height. It can be trimmed to any size and still put on a vivid, year-long flower display. The dark green, velvety, four to six-inch-long leaves have several prominent longitudinal veins instead of the usual one, and are often edged in red. Large, royal purple blossoms, flaring open to five inches, are held on terminal panicles above the foliage, creating a spectacular sight when in full bloom. Some flowers are open throughout the year but they are especially plentiful from May to January. Princess-Flower is ideal for the mixed shrubbery border or used in small groupings to compound the impact of bloom-time.

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