Planting purple flowers in your garden can add rich thematic colors. Many gardeners combine their purple flowers with different shades of purple or other hues to come up with new garden designs. Most of these purple flowers come with thick green leafy foliage as well that provide color throughout the season.
Most purple flowers can be categorized according to perennial and annual flowers.
Perennial flowers are small flowers that grow and bloom over the seasons of spring and summer and then die back during autumn and winter although the roots survive winter season. These flowers are reborn again during spring to start anew and then the cycle repeats itself.
These herbaceous perennials live for more than two years and are some of the easiest to grow. Their roots remain firmly in the ground and are more far-ranging. Once established, they need only minimal maintenance in the form of watering and fertilizing. Perennial flowers are great garden spreads and add rich color to your garden.
Annual flowers, on the other hand, are so-called because they survive only one growing season. Most annual flowers need seeds to grow and require nurturing throughout the season. Garden owners would have to fertilize and water them regularly until the time comes for the flowers to die. By the start of a new growing season, the cycle repeats itself.
Apparently, most gardeners would choose purple perennial flowers for their garden for practical purposes. Whether you choose a purple perennial or annual flower for your garden, make sure that you know how much water the plant needs.
Some would require only minimum amount of water while others need to be watered thoroughly and regularly. Most of these flowers also love full sun but can also appreciate having some light shade during summer afternoons and some shade protection from the wind as well.
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A. Purple Perennials
1. Verbena Flowers
Purple Verbena Flowers are erect, shrubby perennials that can grow up to 6 ft tall in southern regions and 3 ft tall in the northern parts. They grow 2 to 3 inches of rounded clusters of 1/4 inches deep purple flower from mid-summer through fall and self-seeds readily. They can be ornaments to your garden grounds, house walls, or in a hanging pot.
Type: Perennial
Season: Can grow through both spring and summer season.
Light: They require 8-10 hours of sunlight a day except in summers where they may be placed under shade in the afternoon.
Water: Water thoroughly and regularly for the first few weeks. Once the plants are well established, you’ll need to water only once when the soil is dry. Avoid watering overhead.
2. Lavender
Purple Lavenders are Mediterranean flowers with heavy fragrance. They are easy to grow especially in sandy well-drained slightly alkaline soil. They are well-known for their relaxing and healing capacities and used in relieving migraine, insomnia, and headache.
Type: Perennial
Season: They can survive both summer and spring seasons.
Light: Purple Lavenders need at least 8 hours of sunlight so they need to be placed somewhere they can get full sun. They will also need to be sheltered against winter winds.
Water: Water only sparingly since over-watering can be harmful to the flowers. Make sure the pot has adequate drainage if the flowers are in a pot. Wait for the soil to be completely dry before watering again. It’s still not good for the flowers to be dehydrated.
3. Clematis
Purple Clematis originated from the oriental region of China and Japan and can climb fences, posts, and trellises. They are very hardy, large-flowered, and grow intense purple flowers. The flowers bloom during the current year’s growth.
Type: Perennial
Season: Can survive throughout the four seasons.
Light: Purple Clematis prefer a sunny spot with a cool shade. They need at least six hours of sunlight a day.
Water: Water weekly for the first season until the flower gets established.
4. Bellflowers
Purple Bellflowers are hardy plants that can grow full, showy flowers perfect for cottage gardens. These flowers love well-drained soil high in organic compost.
Type: Perennial
Season: Both for spring and summer
Light: Bellflowers are best planted in full sun but can also do well in light shade.
Water: Water thoroughly especially during summer when there’s only about 1 inch rainfall per week.
5. Dwarf Iris
Also known as Miniature Iris, Purple Dwarf Iris can be great ornaments in your garden as beds, borders, and inside fencing. These wildflowers can grow only up to 6 to 8 inches and can spread through underground rhizomatous stem.
Type: Perennial
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Dwarf Iris loves sunny locations to partial shade.
Water: Best to water regularly
6. Catmint
Purple Catmint flowers are related to catnips but have showier flowers and are useful in garden settings with their range of heights. Some of these flowers reach a foot tall or even up to 3-4 feet tall.
Type: Perennial
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Catmints love the full sun but will appreciate light shade as well especially during summer afternoons.
Water: Water regularly and thoroughly until the flowers are established.
7. Salvia
Also known as Sage, Purple Salvia flowers are related to Kitchen Sage and grow small densely packed flowers on top of an aromatic foliage. They can reach from 18 inches up to 5 feet tall, easy to care, tolerant of dry soil, and attract hummingbirds.
Type: Perennial
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Salvia flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Water thoroughly especially in the summer when rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
8. Peonies
Purple Peonies are large colorful bowl-shaped flowers with dark green foliage. They are some of the longest-living garden plants taking up to 3 years to mature. These flowers are low maintenance and fragrant.
Type: Perennial
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Peonies love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Water thoroughly especially in the summer when rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
9. Hydrangeas
Purple Hydrangeas are broad-leaved shrubs or vines with showy flowers. They are a great choice for group planting, borders, or containers. They are easy to cultivate and tolerant of most soil.
Type: Shrubs
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Hydrangeas flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Make sure Purple Hydrangeas get enough water so water thoroughly.
10. Daisies
Purple Daisies are hardy perennial flowers that move around to meet the sun, opening and closing as the day starts and ends.
Type: Perennial
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Daisies flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Purple Daisies need at least an inch of water a week.
11. Beardtongue
Also known as Penstemon, Purple Beardtongue flowers are native to western United States. They are tubular flowers on tall spikes and can grow 1 to 3 inches tall. They are easy to cultivate and tolerant of dry soil.
Type: Perennial
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Beardtongue flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Water thoroughly especially in the summer when rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
12. Creeping Phlox
Purple Creeping Phlox flowers are five-pointed, starry, and small with needle-like foliage. They can grow 4 to 6 inches tall and can reach up to a 2 feet spread. They are easy to cultivate and tolerant of most soil.
Type: Perennial
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Creeping Phlox flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Regularly water the flowers until they are established. Make sure they still get enough supplemental water even when the flowers are already established.
13. Sage
Purple Sage flowers are hardy and inexpensive. They are considered a native desert plant and are tolerant of any soil. These flowers can reach a hedge size and are easy to cultivate.
Type: Perennial
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Sage flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Water regularly
14. Obedient
Purple Obedient flowers are so-called because these flowers easily bend to any direction you like. However, they are not so obedient when it comes to the garden because they can just as easily spread out.
Type: Perennial
Season: Spring and summer flowers
Light: Purple Obedient flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Average water needs; water regularly but do not overwater
15. Veronica
Also known as Speedwell, Purple Veronica flowers are carefree and easy to cultivate with long spikes of small petals. They grow in clusters from 1 to 3 feet tall and easily attract birds and butterflies.
Type: Perennial
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Veronica flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Water thoroughly especially in the summer when rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
B. Purple Annuals
16. Impatiens
Also known Busy Lizzie, Purple Impatiens flowers can easily burst open its seed pod and scatter its seed at the slightest touch.
Type: Annual (and perennial varieties)
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Impatiens flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Water regularly but do not ovewater.
17. Clornflowers
Purple Cornflowers resemble daisies with raised centers and easily attract butterflies and songbirds. They can be used for herbal remedies, are drought-tolerant, and easy to cultivate.
Type: Annual (there are perennial varieties)
Season: Spring and summer
Light: Purple Cornflowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Water thoroughly and regularly especially during summer.
18. Petunias
Purple Petunias are very popular and can be grown from seeds or from transplants. They are heat-tolerant and need to be spaced at least a foot apart when planted.
Type: Annual
Season: Spring and Summer
Light: Purple Petunias love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Water them thoroughly at least once a week.
19. Geraniums
Purple Geraniums can serve both as an indoor and an outdoor plant. They are easy to grow, colorful, and fragrant.
Type: Annual
Season: Spring and summer
Light: They need at least 4 to 6 hours of sunlight daily.
Water: Water thoroughly while allowing to dry in between watering. They’d need less water during winter but take care that the roots don’t dry out.
20. Morning Glory
Purple Morning Glory are big, fragrant, trumpet-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. They are climbing vines and can reach up to 15 feet in one season. Their seeds are highly toxic when ingested.
Type: Annual
Season: Spring and Summer
Light: Purple Morning Glory flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Water thoroughly especially during dry periods.
21. Zinnias
Purple Zinnias are one of the easiest to cultivate and are very popular for cut flowers. They grow quickly, bloom extravagantly, and attract butterflies.
Type: Annual
Season: Spring
Light: Purple Zinnia flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade. They need a minimum daylight temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Water: Water lightly
22. Pansies
Purple Pansies are great for containers, borders, and ground covers. They have leggy growth and are hearty during cool seasons.
Type: Annual (and perennial)
Season: Spring and Summer
Light: Purple Pansies love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Water regularly
23. Dianthus
Also known as Pinks, Purple Dianthus belong to the carnation family and emit a spicy fragrance. They are easy to grow and very versatile.
Type: Annual (and perennial varieties)
Season: Spring and Summer
Light: Purple Dianthus flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade. They need at least 6 hours of sun.
Water: Water Purple Dianthus when dry and only at the base. Take care that the foliage remain dry.
24. Sweet Pea
Purple Sweet Pea flowers are so-called because they resemble peas. These flowers originated in Sicily and are a bit tricky to grow. They are slow to germinate and produce orange-jasmine-honey fragrance.
Type: Annual
Season: Spring and Summer
Light: Purple Sweet Pea flowers love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Purple Sweet Pea flowers don’t need to be watered unless the soil is dry. Take care to water only the soil level and do so in the morning.
25. Dahlias
Purple Dahlias have a growing season of at least 120 days long and thrive in cool moist climates. These spiky flowers can grow 4 to 5 feet tall with blossoms inches to 10 inches in size.
Type: Annual
Season: Spring and Summer
Light: Purple Dahlias love the full sun but will also do well in light shade.
Water: Wait until the Purple Dahlias are established before watering them. Water at least 2 to 3 times a week for 30 minutes with a sprinkler. Water more during hot and dry season.
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FAQs
What do purple flowers mean?
Purple has long been the color of royalty, the color in which kings and queens draped their regal bodies. That history lent the color a sense of ceremony and dignity that persists to this day. Purple flowers, therefore, are perfect for a dignified, ceremonious occasion.
There is a pride that accompanies the display of purple flowers, as well as a feeling of accomplishment. This makes purple the perfect choice for an arrangement to be displayed at a graduation ceremony or other celebration of an accomplishment. Purple flowers representability, status, and success.
When given to a lover, a purple flower carries a message of majesty or enchantment. A purple rose given to a woman typically says, “you are my queen.”
Which trees have purple flowers?
There are several types of trees with purple flowers, and they all possess a regal beauty typical of their color.
Jacarandas, with their gorgeous springtime blooms, is perhaps the most famous of the purple-flowering trees. They can grow up to forty feet tall with an impressive, umbrella-like spread. They like sandy soil and fare well in sunny climates.
The crape myrtle tree is a bit shorter than the jacaranda, maxing out at thirty feet, but its domed canopy is just as impressive. Crape myrtles require copious amounts of sunlight, and they can be pruned to resemble shrubs.
The purple robe locust boasts elegant leaves as well as gorgeous purple flowers and can grow up to fifty feet tall. Its flowers are known to be particularly attractive to bees.
The purple orchid is a slightly smaller tree that will sometimes grow a second trunk. Its blooms do not occur at any specific time but happen at any moment from summer to the winter months.
Which purple flowers do butterflies like?
Purple is an excellent color for a butterfly garden, with many purple flowers offering sufficient nectar to attract pollinators.
The meadow blazing star is a late-blooming plant with a remarkable knack for attracting migratory monarch butterflies. Their clusters of small purple flowers on elongated stalks are also pleasant on the eye. The northern blazing star, similar in appearance, blooms even later, making it a perfect option for gardeners hoping to attract butterflies into September.
The Brazilian verbena is another purple flower that attracts butterflies like a magnet. Its deep purple hue is especially alluring, making it a comely and practical component of any butterfly garden.
Do any cacti or succulents have purple flowers? If so, what are they?
Purple happens to be a very common color for flowering cacti and succulents, meaning enthusiasts have plenty of options if they want to add a touch of royalty to their succulent gardens.
The strawberry hedgehog, native to the deserts of the United States, blooms beautiful purple flowers. It can grow up to two feet tall and does best in complete light.
The candelabra, native to Baja California in Mexico, is another purple-flowering cactus with a penchant for sun and an ability to survive on very little water.
Catclaws, another North American cactus, sports a very unique set of spindly, purplish spines, with dark purple flowers blooming on top. This is a unique-looking plant that will draw its fare share of attention.
The “fairy tongue,” is a purple-blooming succulent from across the pond in Africa. Its flowers are small and appear in adorable little clusters.
Do hummingbirds like purple flowers? Which ones?
Hummingbirds do indeed like purple flowers, especially those with excessive quantities of nectar. There are certain purple flowers that attract more hummingbirds than others.
Purple porter weed sports broad, light-purple flowers that sometimes come in blue. Hummingbirds (as well as butterflies) enjoy visiting these flowers, and will likely become regular visitors to a garden planted with them.
Bee balm, a small perennial, is as adept at attracting bees as its name suggests. But its pollinator-friendly status means that hummingbirds also hold this flower to be a favorite.
Rhododendrons can bloom purple, and are renowned for attracting a cornucopia of pollinators, hummingbirds included. The sheer number of flowers produced by a single bush helps account for the plant’s impressive attractive powers.
