Troubleshooting
Silver Tibouchina problems — and how to fix them
Silver Tibouchina (Tibouchina heteromalla) is generally low-drama, but a few issues come up again and again. Here is what each one looks like, why it happens, and the fix.
Botrytis (grey mould) on leaves
The dense, hairy foliage traps moisture and is prone to botrytis in cool, humid, still conditions; improve air circulation, avoid wetting the leaves, remove affected tissue promptly, and apply a copper-based fungicide if infection spreads.
Interveinal chlorosis
Yellow leaves with green veins signal iron or manganese deficiency from alkaline growing media; apply a chelated iron drench (sequestrene) and repot into fresh ericaceous compost if the problem persists.
Prevent silver tibouchina problems before they start
Most silver tibouchina issues are care-mismatch, not bad luck. Dial in the basics:
Silver Tibouchina problems — FAQ
Why is my silver tibouchina botrytis (grey mould) on leaves?
The dense, hairy foliage traps moisture and is prone to botrytis in cool, humid, still conditions; improve air circulation, avoid wetting the leaves, remove affected tissue promptly, and apply a copper-based fungicide if infection spreads.
Why is my silver tibouchina interveinal chlorosis?
Yellow leaves with green veins signal iron or manganese deficiency from alkaline growing media; apply a chelated iron drench (sequestrene) and repot into fresh ericaceous compost if the problem persists.