Tibouchina urvilleana Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS

9cm / 0.5L

Glory Bush (Princess Flower)

Tibouchina urvilleana

Name: Tibouchina urvilleana
Brand: GROW TROPICALS
SKU: TIBOURVI9
Price: 9.99 GBP
Availability: InStock

£9.99

Overwinter under coverSun-lovingEvergreenRHS award winnerLoved by pollinators

Pot size

9cm / 0.5L £9.99

FREE tracked delivery on orders over £60

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Description

Tibouchina urvilleana, the Glory Bush (also sold as Princess Flower or Brazilian Spider Flower), is a showstopping tender evergreen from the rainforests of Brazil. Its velvety, softly hairy, deeply veined leaves are handsome in their own right, but the real drama comes from the large satiny flowers in a rich royal-purple to violet, carried in succession from summer well into autumn. It is a plant that turns a warm patio, a large pot or a bright conservatory into something genuinely exotic.

This is emphatically not a frost hardy plant. Rated RHS H2, it is happiest grown as a patio or conservatory shrub: stood outside for the summer, then brought somewhere bright and frost-free before the first frosts, with a minimum of around 1C over winter. It needs a frost-free winter indoors or under glass, kept just moist while it is dormant. Treated this way it will reward you for years. For a fuller picture of how tender exotics behave through the seasons, see our what to expect guide.

Water freely while it is in growth and flower, then keep it much drier over winter. A balanced summer feed and a light prune in spring keep it bushy and full of bloom. As a long-flowering, nectar-rich shrub it is loved by bees, making it a lovely choice among our plants for pollinators. It looks superb as a specimen in a large patio pot, as a source of hot colour in exotic borders, or as bold architectural foliage for a sunny courtyard. Browse the rest of our hardy exotics to build a whole warm-climate look.

Every plant we supply is nursery-grown, carefully selected for a healthy shape and strong roots, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

Find out more

What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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7 day live arrival guarantee

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How to care for Glory Bush (Princess Flower)

Plant me in full sun and bring me under cover before the frosts.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.

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About Glory Bush (Princess Flower)

Tibouchina urvilleana needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is frost tender and must come under cover for winter.

Good for

Architectural Exotic Borders Pots & Containers

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H2 · Tender · down to around 1°C

tender (RHS H2); outside for summer, then bright and frost-free over winter at a minimum of around 1C.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeSouth-facingWest-facingEast-facingSheltered

full sun in a warm, sheltered spot, with a little afternoon shade in the hottest gardens.

Soil

ChalkLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

fertile and free-draining, or a loam-based compost with added grit in a container; happy on chalk, loam or sand across the pH range.

Watering

Water freely through the growing season to keep the compost evenly moist while it is in active growth and flower, easing off as light levels fall. In winter keep it much drier, watering only enough to stop it drying out completely. Feed every couple of weeks in summer with a balanced liquid feed, and prune lightly in spring to keep it bushy. Read moreShow less

Water freely through the growing season to keep the compost evenly moist while it is in active growth and flower, easing off as light levels fall. In winter keep it much drier, watering only enough to stop it drying out completely. Feed every couple of weeks in summer with a balanced liquid feed, and prune lightly in spring to keep it bushy.

Mature size

Height2.5-4 m

Spread1.5-2.5 m

Reaches full size in 5-10 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

JFMAMJJASOND

Summer to autumn · Purple

Seasonal colour

SpringSummerAutumnWinterFlowerFoliageBerries

Foliage

Evergreen (stays evergreen only when kept frost-free over winter)

Pruning

Flowers on new growth. Prune to shape in spring, cutting back the previous year's stems; it can be cut fairly hard to keep it compact.

Toxicity

Generally considered non-toxic to people and pets; Tibouchina is listed as a non-toxic plant by the California Poison Control System. The fine hairs on the leaves may cause very mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals.

Native range

Brazil

Family

Melastomataceae

Also known as

Tibouchina urvilleana

Genus

Tibouchina

Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Tibouchina urvilleana hardy in the UK?

No. Tibouchina urvilleana is a tender shrub rated RHS H2, so it is not frost hardy in the UK. Grow it in a large pot that you can stand outside for the summer, then move it somewhere bright and frost-free for winter at a minimum of around 1C. For more on how tender exotics behave through the year, see our what to expect guide.

How do I overwinter a Glory Bush?

Bring it under cover before the first frosts into a bright, frost-free spot such as a conservatory, porch or cool greenhouse, keeping it above about 7C. Water sparingly through winter, because cold combined with wet is the main cause of losses. Keep it on the dry side and it will come back strongly in spring.

Why is my Tibouchina dropping leaves or buds?

A sudden move, a cold draught or a spell of cold, wet compost can all cause Tibouchina to drop leaves or buds. It usually recovers once conditions settle. Keep it warm, bright and only lightly watered, avoid sharp temperature swings, and fresh growth will follow.

When does Tibouchina urvilleana flower?

Expect the large royal-purple flowers from summer into autumn, often over a long season in a warm, sunny position. A summer feed and plenty of light encourage the best display, and a light prune in spring keeps the plant bushy and full of bloom.

Can I grow Tibouchina urvilleana in a pot?

Yes, it is one of the best tender shrubs for a container. Grow it in a free-draining, loam-based compost with added grit, and it makes a superb patio specimen you can move under cover for winter. Browse more container-friendly exotics in our plants for pots collection.

Is Tibouchina urvilleana poisonous to pets?

Tibouchina is generally considered non-toxic to people and pets and is listed as a non-toxic plant by the California Poison Control System. The fine hairs on the leaves may cause very mild skin irritation for sensitive people, so it is worth washing your hands after handling.

Does my plant come with a pot?

Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.

How big will my plant be when it arrives?

Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.

What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?

There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.

What should I do when my plant arrives?

First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.

Will my plant survive being shipped?

Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.

Why Grow Tropicals

Plants delivered the way they deserve

Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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Tibouchina urvilleana

£9.99