Unknown tree

Have seen a tree in a School which has purple flowers, a little like Hibiscus, and the leaves are three lobed.
The lobes of the leaves are narrow and tapper to the tips, and each lobe is about 7-8 inches long.
The tree is about 13 feet high.
My first thought was a tree hollyhock, but I don't think it is.
I will endeavour to get a picture of it if need be, but untill then, any ideas?

 

What about Cercis, Fonzie? The Judas tree.

 

I don't think so dave. What I will do is take a picture of it tomorrow.
I have my camera out on the sideboard so I won't forget to take it with me to work.
I'll take a few shots long and close then maybe we can solve the mystery. Cheers for the reply.

 

It sounds like a young Paulownia, but this would not be flowering now.

 

Agree with Liz could be Paulownia tomentosa. Foxglove Tree.

 

Here is the tree.

 

Hiya Fonz ... or should I say Clint?

I say it's the solanum lacinatum. They grow wild in the Ventnor Botanic Gardens near where I lived on the Isle of Wight and we had one in our grounds. I brought one here and the leaves yellowed so I contacted the Australian Botanic Gardens and they thought I was mad to be growing such a 'weed'. :rolleyes: Anyway, I lost it sadly.

After flowering there will be cherry tomato sized orange fruits .... you can then have some seed or they root easily from cuttings.

http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/gnp12/solanum-laciniatum.html

David, I am surprised you said Cercis .... it has heart shaped leaves and shocking pink flowers which bloom on bare wood ...

 

Definitely Solanum laciniatum.

 

What a pretty tree, are you going to try some seed later in the year?

 

Thanks guys, yes I'd go with Solanum. Thanks again.
Not gonna take seeds or cuttings, don't want a tree, but a fellow worker took some cuttings from it the other day.