Is Tibouchina Toxic?

Risks of Toxic Plants

• Toxic plants pose the greatest risk to children younger than 6 years, reports the California Poison Control System, and nearly 80 percent of plant-related poisonings occur in children. Toxic plants also threaten adults, livestock and pets. With more than 1 million identified plant species to choose from, the chances of your inviting a toxic plant into your yard are greater than you may realize.

Princess Flower Toxicity

• The CPCS lists all Tibouchina species plants as nontoxic to humans, dogs and cats. It also cautions,though, that even nontoxic plants may trigger vomiting in people or animals, and that children often choke on plant material. To make your garden a safe place for all the members of the family, never turn your young children loose in it without adult supervision. As soon as they're old enough to understand, teach them that even plants as pretty as princess flowers aren't meant to be eaten without permission.

Princess Flower Problems

• While it isn't toxic, princess flower has its share of quirks. In mild-summer climates, it likes full sun, but demands afternoon shade where summers are hot. It likes medium to wet, fertile, organically rich well-drained soil and tolerates drought only at the expense of flowering. Branches that break in strong winds and intolerance of salt sprays make princess flower a poor choice for coastal gardens. Frost is deadly to container plants spending the summer outdoors in cold-winter climates, and kills in-ground plants back to the soil in USDA Zone 8. Although they recover, don't expect new blooms until the following summer.

Using Princess Flower

• Princess flower has a naturally sprawling habit. Consider pruning it as a tree or training it as a sunny-wall espalier positioned near the patio, pool or other gathering place where its ornamental attributes can shine. To keep it at its best, prune between flower flushes to shape the plant, and remove damaged branches. At the same time, feed it lightly with granular fertilizer formulated for rhododendrons or other acid-loving plants. Sprinkle the fertilizer around the shrub's dripline at the manufacturer's recommended rate and water it into the soil.