Red squirrels being very bold this morning in the Garden. There were three, but they didn't oblige me by all being in the frame at the same time. The greedy one in the feeder was very possessive.

Plant of the month January 2017

Tibouchina urvilleana (Glory flower)

Family: Melastomataceae
Origin: S. Brazil
Accession: 1976
Location: Temperate Glasshouse

Tibouchina urvilleana is a sprawling evergreen shrub native to Brazil, growing 3-6m tall and 2-3m wide. Its elliptic, softly hairy leaves have prominent longitudinal veins, and the rich violet-purple flowers have exserted, blackish stamens. Requiring a minimum temperature of 3°C, in temperate areas it is often grown in a conservatory, though in frost-free areas around the world it is a very popular outdoor landscape plant.

The specific epithet urvilleana commemorates the 19^th century French explorer and botanist Jules Dumont d’Urville (1790-1842).