Tibouchina

 

This beautiful purple flower grows in my garden and blooms in the late summer and fall. It has some common names that also apply to other plants, so it is best to call it by it's real name: Tibouchina. It is a perennial upright plant and when the petals fall around its feet it is a sight to remember. But in Hawaii, it is a different story. It is an invasive plant that threatens native flora. This shot was taken along a roadside and as you can see, it has no trouble competing with the other vegetation.