Skylab is beautiful climbing shrub usually growing to approximately 2.0m, with regular pruning it will make as small rounded shrub. It has deep green strongly veined leaves and violet purple flowers from early autumn to early winter.
Tibouchina laxa is from Peru and has been grown in Australia for many years. It prefers a warm sheltered location but will grow in the cooler climes if planted amongst garden shrubs where the climbing branches will intertwine with the other plants and the purple flowers will appear amongst the foliage. It likes full sun and a moist but well drained soil and is tolerant of light to moderate frosts once established. Like most climbing shrubs an annual feed with Osmocote Outdoor Trees and Shrubs slow release in spring will keep it vigorous and looking good.
Skylab has been growing successful at Larkman Nurseries trial gardens in Victoria since the mid eighties and has performed well. As such they have included in their list of recommended garden plants. It looks good interplanted with large shrubs like Genista ‘Yellow Imp’, Ceratostigma willmottianum and Ceanothus ‘Snowflurry’.
