Princes flower (Tibouchina?) gone wild- best way to handle?

[cruiserandmax]

We have a princess flower plant (Tibouchina?) that thrived for around 15 years with regular pruning. Then for another 10 years it was completely ignored- it ended up growing out into two very long spindly trunks with the majority of the foliage way out at the ends (see pics). I would love to wrangle it back down to the small plant/tree that it used to be (contained to it's spot and not growing out over the patio). There is currently a very healthy growth coming off one of the two main trunk pretty close to the base (see close up picture). Can I simply cut that trunk away just above where that growth is happening, and completely cut off the other trunk and then continually maintain it's growth from there? Or would that be too traumatic to the whole thing?

 

[Jo Gandara]

You should be able to since the bottom growth seemd healthy.

If you want to be on the safe side, don't cut too near the leafing part, go out about 6 inches on the old branch and then cut.
That way if the old branch starts drying out and dieing back it should stop drying back before it finds the new growth.
If you can cut the old branch at an angle =\ so rain won't stick and cause mold or rot.
Later after recovery you may decide tp cut the old branch back more. Goodluck.

 

[Marck]

Princess-flower (Pleroma urvilleanum, formerly Tibouchina urvilleana), in the Glorybush Family (Melastomataceae), is native to southern Brazil, and widely grown as an ornamental garden shrub in mild climates. It can be pruned into old wood as it dormant bud readily sprout on older wood. The plant in the OP should be pruned down to the lower branches of the right trunk. The left trunk should be pruned down to a similar height, as it will likely also resprout.