Plants of the Week -September 26

Tibouchina grandifolia is in bloom! In cooler climates the tender woody, native to Brazil, is grown for its large, furry, ovate leaves. In late summer upright panicles bear numerous 1 ½” purple flowers. The plant can reach 5-6’ in height and can be overwintered in a cool, frost-free basement. Visit Cosby Courtyard adjacent to Kohlberg Hall to see Tibouchina grandifolia and other containerized plants on display. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Shorter days herald the arrival of autumn. With autumn comes a bounty of fruit, including that of the tea viburnum, Viburnum setigerum ‘Aurantiacum’. White flowers, borne on new wood, open in May on the deciduous multi-stemmed shrub. Orange fruit, produced in such profusion that branches droop from the weight, ripen as summer transitions to fall. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Pollia japonica is an unusual and easy to grow native of Japan. Rhizomes send up 3’ stems with shiny, ginger-like leaves. Whorls of small, downy white flowers give way to blue bead-like seeds that change to black. P. japonica has a pleasant habit of filling in open gaps throughout the shade garden. Unwanted plants are easy to remove. Photo credit: J. Coceano

Ceanothus x pallidus var. roseus, blooming near the Worth Health Center, bears conical inflorescences of soft pink flowers on new wood. The deciduous shrub reaches 3-4 in height and width. Consider C. x pallidus var. roseus for sunny locations with well draining soil. Photo credit: J. Coceano