Q: Our Tibouchina urvilleana tree appears to be distressed this year. The leaves have been much smaller than usual. The purple flowers seem to be about average size, but not the leaves. We’ve tried 20 ...

Years ago the director of horticulture of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., shared a plant with me that had large purple flowers and was called Princess Flower. It thrived, but in my ...

Princess flower is an evergreen shrub with an almost unpronounceable name, Tibouchina urvilleana. The brilliant purple plant flowers from late spring into winter, and is a showstopper in the garden.

As I gazed upon my bleak winter garden, I decided to look into which winter-flowering trees and shrubs I might plant for a four-season garden. The only bright spots I see are provided by two ...

Q–Can the blue-flowered shrub called tibouchina live outdoors over winter? How about large containers outdoors in warm weather and a cool but frost-free room the rest of the year? A–Called Brazilian ...