Princess Flower is an evergreen tropical shrub native to Brazil that is best used as an annual or house plant in zones lower than 9. In zone 8 it will die to the ground in winter but may come back in spring. This shrub can be trained into tree form and typically reaches 6-8 feet but can grow to 10-20 feet in warm winter areas. It prefers moist acidic well-drained soil. In hot summer areas, it likes some protection from the afternoon sun. It is tolerant of drought once established and has moderate salt tolerance. The showy purple flowers appear in terminal panicles and the tree has a long bloom season. The evergreen leaves are dark green with lighter undersides and are 4-6 inches long. In NC, use as an annual or in containers that can be over-wintered in the house or a greenhouse. Use as a patio tree for accent and as a specimen Problems: potential pests are scales, mealybugs and nematodes
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Occasionally Wet
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Rounded; Vase
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Soft
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Dark green leaves are lighter underneath with bowed parallel venation and soft hairs. They are lanceolate to ovate and 4-6 inches long and 1-2 inches wide. Margins are entire
Flower color
Purple/Lavender
Flower form
Panicle
Flower shape
Saucer; Tubular
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
3-4 inch purple flowers with 5 petals and purple stamens occur in terminal panicles and can bloom throughout the year in warm winter areas