The Glory of the Princess Flower

I have had Tibouchinas around for years. Until we moved to Florida they had to stay in pots or be prayed over to live through the winter. I found out the hard way they really don’t live through the winter on the north side of Atlanta. Supposedly 37 degrees Farenheit are their limit. But my mother could keep them twenty miles further south; I would be hard pressed to say hers flourished, but we did admire the flowers once in a while.

One of the first things I bought after my driveway was complete was the Tibouchina. Another good import from South America, to the best of my knowledge, Brazil, the common name for this plant is the Glory Bush. Other sources call it the Princess Flower. I think that there are several varieties of these available the size range varies from 3 feet tall up to a small tree. This one supposes to be 6-8′ height and spread.  I will wait and see. Some of the plants we used as annuals further north had fuzzy leaves and grape like flower heads (panicles) but were still Tibouchinas.  If you believe what you read they bloom once a year. Mine must be really happy or something.. This one bloomed off and on since I planted it – probably 9 months ago. I will confess to watering it by hand, it is in a Rain Garden with a strong Eastern exposure. The leaves seem to turn red as they are regenerating which actually adds to the ornamental value of this plant.

Tibouchinas are another tropical import being investigated for medicinal use. The plant may possess antibacterial properties. I hope so, until they figure that part out the rest of us can enjoy the flowers.

Lo and behold I discovered yet another source of color for the winter garden.  The Winter Starburst Clerodendrum is a large shrub to small tree (8-12’ ht.) sporting beautiful pink flowers in winter with the added bonus of foliage that is attractive throughout the year. Belonging to a group of plants sometimes called Glory Bower, this certainly lives up to that name. It is glorious when in full bloom.

The first one of these I saw stopped me in my car.. what is that and blooming in the middle of Winter? Fabulous.  After a bit of detective work I found out what it is. I have seen a few scary examples of Clerodendrums around my neighborhood. Gone wild and not in a good way. I think one needs to be prepared to do some maintenance pruning or pay the price. On the other hand, you could say you were going for the cottage garden look. Problem solved with little or no work.

There are many different types of Clerodendrum – most native to tropical south Asia;  the plant types range from vines to perennials, shrubs up to small trees.  These plants have some invasive tendencies so be careful who you invite into the garden. This one grows in partial shade and prefers moist soil. Clerodendrum is a good addition to the butterfly garden.  Another similar variety that is not quite so big is ‘Pink Diamond’ Clerodendrum, this is also called Cashmere Bouquet for its fragrance (my grandmother used a soap by that name – the smell of the soap would not motivate me to use this plant!) ‘Pink Diamond’ grows 48” high and some have variegated foliage. An additional  identifying feature is the back of the leaves are purple year round, this is another good quality of this plant.