Real Beauty

[Moose]

Found this beautiful potted flowering plant in the coutyard of a wonderful garden. The owner was elderly and could not remember the name.

Can anybody please help, I told her I would find out for her.

[Dypsisdean]

Looks like a Tibouchina MooseMan. An invasive nuisance plant on the Hilo side. But there are apparently many species, and I couldn't tell you which one.

[ariscott]

invasive? Really?? I have one and it never goes anywhere.... I like them since they flower all year around here.

[fastfeat]

Tibouchina granulosa.

Pretty difficult on Dade Co limestone (far easier in Orlando-area neutral to acid soils, where it becomes a small tree). Probably easiest to keep in large container locally, or amend soil heavily with peat, mulch heavily.

Pink form is very attractive, available at Jesse Durko's in Davie.

No invasive potential in SoFla.

Edited January 28, 2012 by fastfeat

[Moose]

Here is one that has got its bloom going on in Florida, Clerodendrum quadriloculare. It has a green upper surface leaf, the lower surface is purplish hue. The flowers are short lived but are produced profusely. This plant, commonly refered to as "Starburst", is more of a large shrub or bush than a tree. It sucker habit has some garden lovers here considering it a bit of a nuisance. They are very pretty when blooming.

According to Bob Riffle in The Tropical Look, it is indigenous to the Philippines and can grow to 20 ft. The genus has about 200 species.

[Moose]

A few more shots of Clerodendrum quadriloculare.

[Moose]

Tibouchina granulosa.

Pretty difficult on Dade Co limestone (far easier in Orlando-area neutral to acid soils, where it becomes a small tree). Probably easiest to keep in large container locally, or amend soil heavily with peat, mulch heavily.

Pink form is very attractive, available at Jesse Durko's in Davie.

No invasive potential in SoFla.

Ken - you are spot on with the ID, thank you. Looked it up in Bob Riffle's The Tropical Look. Native to western Brazil and eastern Bolivia, attains 40 ft. in habitat. About half that height in cultivation. Commonly known as "the purple glory tree". Reportedly there are around 350 species of trees and shrubs in this large genus.

[Eric in Orlando]

I don't think that one is T. granulosa, the leaves look too small.

Looks like what is being sold in the FL trade now as T. lepidota 'Ecuador Princess'.

[Eric in Orlando]

Here is one that has got its bloom going on in Florida, Clerodendrum quadriloculare. It has a green upper surface leaf, the lower surface is purplish hue. The flowers are short lived but are produced profusely. This plant, commonly refered to as "Starburst", is more of a large shrub or bush than a tree. It sucker habit has some garden lovers here considering it a bit of a nuisance. They are very pretty when blooming.

According to Bob Riffle in The Tropical Look, it is indigenous to the Philippines and can grow to 20 ft. The genus has about 200 species.

I saw some huge ones in a neighborhood just east of downtown Ft. Lauderdale a couple weeks ago.

There is a really nice variegated form called 'Brandonii'.

[_Keith]

invasive? Really?? I have one and it never goes anywhere.... I like them since they flower all year around here.

Ari, seeing the growth rate of things in Hawaii, I am guessing nearly everything introduced qualifies as invasive. But I think the most invasive species of all in Hawaii might be, Homo sapiens 'Californian'. LOL

[Jeff Searle]

I don't think that one is T. granulosa, the leaves look too small.

Looks like what is being sold in the FL trade now as T. lepidota 'Ecuador Princess'.

Eric/Moose

With those small leaves, that's exactly what it is. But it's a finicky grower in the ground. I found them to be hard to keep alive and their wimpy.

[redant]

Here is one that has got its bloom going on in Florida, Clerodendrum quadriloculare. It has a green upper surface leaf, the lower surface is purplish hue. The flowers are short lived but are produced profusely. This plant, commonly refered to as "Starburst", is more of a large shrub or bush than a tree. It sucker habit has some garden lovers here considering it a bit of a nuisance. They are very pretty when blooming.

According to Bob Riffle in The Tropical Look, it is indigenous to the Philippines and can grow to 20 ft. The genus has about 200 species.

I consider them a pest, not only runners but they seem to seed themselves as well. They pop up every where. On the plus side they are easy to pull up when young. Even though they are a pest I do have a big bunch of them, right now they are blooming and beautiful.