could it be a tibouchina? Not sure on it's cultivation, just know it has purple flowers.
Lori

It looks like a type of crape myrtle. In Broward, you can grow the tropical variety with ease. I am not sure about the temperate variety.

Thanks for the suggestions.

It could be a crape myrtle. There were LOTS of different varieties in this neighborhood. I just didn't know that they could grow that large with that wide a spread.

Thanks again.

Hi Ken
I think Lori is right. I also noticed a lot of these in Sebring this week - they have been blooming for awhile.

Sorry I don't know about them in Broward.
Susie

I agree....it looks like a Princess Tree aka Tibuchina to me as well. I don't have one, but always admire them and have pondered where I could plant one.

I've seen them grown into small trees and also cut to keep a shrub-like form.

http://www.floridata.com/ref/t/tibo_urv.cfm

Wish you had a close up but if the leaves have large veins and the flowers are round my bet is a Queens Crepe Myrtle

Katie

The leaves look very large for crepe myrtle, though they certainly grow that big, and bigger. (In North Carolina, where they do NOT practice "crepe murder" every year, they grow to the size of small oaks and are stunning.)

If you could get a closer picture of the leaves and flowers, it would be helpful. If the flowers are single, flat and similar in shape to something like an impatience, I would say tibouchina. That was the first thing I thought of when I saw the picture. Tibouchina leaves are usually slightly fuzzy and very pretty. Crepes have much smaller, "harder" leaves.

Again, a closer view would help.

Marcia

Here's an enlarged detail of the leaves and what I see now are pinwheel type flowers. Hope it's sharp enough to make ID possible. It's probably a tibouchina. Not only did I not know that a crape myrtle might get that big, or larger, I didn't know that tibouchinas were that dense or had leaves as dark as these. Guess I have a lot to learn.

Thanks for the help!

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Tibouchina granulosa - Purple Glory Tree