Princess Plant - prune?

Many of you probably know about, or even have in your garden, this gorgeous plant that has blue flowers beyond belief.

My two plants are old; have become big & straggly. I've been afraid to prune, because my gardener told me years ago that if pruned, they will not regrow.

T or F?

This is what California Gardens site says:

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With the large (2") passionately purple flowers and felt-like leaves this Princess Plant is an attention grabber. Tibouchina urvilleana blooms almost constantly through the spring to frost. Princess Plant goes winter deciduous for me even in frost free locations. I cut Tibouchina urvilleana back at during the Winter to pencil sized wood as most of the smaller branches die anyway. Tibouchina urvilleana is a coastal gem. It also thrives in the banana belts of the inland valleys if they are well enough protected. Heat and humidity are both helpful for Tibouchina urvilleana. The Princess Plant dies back if temperatures drop into the 20's and way back in the low 20's. Unfortunately the recovery from the cold is miserably slow. The biggest Princess Plant that I have seen is 12' tall and wide. Tibouchina urvilleana prefers loamy well mulched soil.

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I am in SoCalif Coastal, Zone 24-8

Your input/experience?

Persephone

Reply to
Persephone
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If it is a woody plant, which it sounds like it may not be, here are some instructions. I.e., for woody plants.

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John A. Keslick, Jr. Arborist
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Beware of so-called tree experts who do not understand tree biology. Storms, fires, floods, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions keep reminding us that we are not the boss.

Reply to
symplastless

it may NOT be"?

Confused.

Persephone

Reply to
Persephone

Hi Perse Well I can't speak from experience, because Tibouchina freezes here since we often get in the 20s. But both Sunset and Botanica say to " prune lightly after each bloom cycle." The above advice you quoted about pencil sized wood sounds good. Just don't cut too far back into the older wood. Maybe you could experiment on one plant to see what happens? They are really striking plants. (Those who grow them here just treat them as annuals) Emilie NorCal

Reply to
mleblanca

Guess I'll adopt your suggestion and try on one of the plants. Stay tuned!

Persephone

Reply to
Persephone

Oh exalted Queen of the Underworld and daughter of the King of Olympus, where does southern California costal drop to 20 F?

Went to HS in Huntington Beach.

Reply to
Billy Rose

Never mind your majesty. Asleep at the wheel again.

Reply to
Billy Rose

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