Are you a fan of dark and bright foliage? Here are some of the Best Outdoor Purple Plants you can grow for a dramatic appeal!
Colors add a lot of drama and dimension to the garden. If you want to add an instant vivid appeal to yours, then grow these Outdoor Purple Plants!
Check out the most gorgeous purple houseplants here
Best Outdoor Purple Plants – Foliage
Some plants on this list may have a tint of blue more than purple.
1. Persian Shield
Botanical Name: Strobilanthes dyeriana
The Persian shield sports long, slender foliage with an iridescent metallic sheen on the surface. Provide the plant 4-5 hours of direct sunlight and shade for the rest of the day.
Learn how to grow Persian Shield here
2. Purple Heart
Botanical Name: Tradescantia pallida
The lance-shaped purple leaves and the dark purple trailing stems add this plant to the list of the best purple plants. The plant needs bright direct sunlight and regular trimming.
3. Purple Passion
Botanical Name: Gynura aurantiaca
The purple hairs on the dark green foliage give the plant a subtle shine making it one of the most spectacular purple specimens you can grow indoors and outdoors.
Discover the names of the best purple houseplants here
4. Purple Leaf Filbert
Botanical Name: Corylus maxima ‘Purpurea’
Purple Leaf Filbert is a short shrub with broad and serrated purple leaves emerging from dark purple stems. The plant produces yellow, edible nuts in autumn.
5. Sambucus Black Beauty
Botanical Name: Sambucus nigra ‘Gerda’
This ornamental plant with dark purple foliage looks almost black from a distance. The large pink summer flowers make this plant a beautiful choice for open yards.
Want to grow plants with black flowers? Check out the list here
6. Purpurea
Botanical Name: Cimicifuga racemosa ‘Purpurea’
The brown purple stems and leaves make Purpurpea among the best outdoor purple plants. The dense spikes of white fragrant flowers and purple buds add to its beauty.
7. Brunette Bugbane
Botanical Name: Cimicifuga racemosa ‘Brunette’
Brunette Bugbane is a herbaceous perennial with attractive greenish-purple foliage on dark purple stems. From mid to late summer, tiny spikes of pink-white flowers emerge from the mound.
8. Smoke Tree
Botanical Name: Cotinus coggygria
An ornamental shrub with oval green foliage and clusters of pale pink flower stalks looks gorgeous in every garden. The dense and sterile flowers give the plant a smoky look from a distance.
9. Wine & Roses Weigela
Botanical Name: Weigela florida ‘Variegata’
This delightful ground cover with ornamental foliage in a dark purple-burgundy metallic shade is a sight to behold when the trumpet-shaped pink flowers appear.
There are groundcovers with stunning purple flowers; check out their names here
10. Crimson Pygmy Barberry
Botanical Name: Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea ‘Nana’
Crimson Pygmy Barberry is a deciduous dwarf shrub with striking purplish-red foliage on reddish-brown stems. Grow it in bright light for the best color.
11. Purple Shamrock
Botanical Name: Oxalis triangularis
The purple shamrock can be called an un-crowned king of outdoor purple plants. It does remarkably well in bright light, contributing to its deep and stunning foliage.
Learn how to grow Purple Shamrock here
12. Inch Plant
Botanical Name: Tradescantia zebrina
It is one of the easiest to grow purple foliage plants. Train it to climb a bit or let it crawl in your yard, which it will beautifully do while flaunting its purple foliage.
Learn about growing Inch plant indoors here
13. Purple Pearl Echeveria
Botanical Name: Echeveria ‘Purple Pearl’
If you are a fan of small plants, then this succulent will win your heart with its powdery purple shade. As long as it gets bright sunlight, it will continue to grow lush and purple!
Here are the best types of Echeverias you can grow
14. Fishnet Stockings Coleus
Botanical Name: Coleus scutellarioides ‘Fishnet Stockings’
The blue-purple color of this coleus takes its best shade when you provide it with plenty of warmth and direct light. It’s great for borders, patios, and the front of the house.
Look at the best coleus pictures in hanging baskets here
15. Heuchera
Botanical Name: Heuchera
If you want the best color, grow clump-forming Heuchera ‘Forever Purple’. The ruffled foliage with its deep colors will stand out in the garden, making it a focal point!
Have a look at the best Heuchera varieties here
16. Cordyline
Botanical Name: Cordyline
The Ti plant will be more than happy to dwell in the brightest spot of your garden without much maintenance. It is straightforward to grow and thrives, even if you ignore it.
Learn about growing Cordyline in the water here
17. Purple Lady Blood Leaf
Botanical Name: Iresine herbste ‘Purple Lady’
This not-so-common plant will be worth it in your garden simply because it showcases a magnificent hue. You can use it as ground cover.
18. Purple Prince Alternanthera
Botanical Name: Alternanthera ‘Purple Prince’
True to its name, the plant looks like a Prince Charming, thanks to its bright and vivid purple hue. Its dense shape makes it perfect for garden corners.
Check out the best purple and white flowers here
Best Outdoor Purple Plants – Flowers
19. Catmint or Catnips
Botanical Name: Nepeta
Catmint can thrive well in dry, hot climates and flowers throughout the season. It forms a rounded, low mound of silver-blue foliage with spikes of purple flowers.
Learn about growing Catnip indoors here
20. Iris
Botanical Name: Iris
You can find Iris in various colors, from purples to violet to pale lilac. For the best colors, make sure it gets plenty of light throughout the day.
21. Lupine
Botanical Name: Lupinus
You can grow Lupine in your veggie garden near cucumber, broccoli, and squash. These purple flowers can help enhance soil quality and allow other plants to grow well.
22. Lilac
Botanical Name: Syringa
You can easily recognize Lilacs by their panicles of small, tubular blooms in light purple, pink, white, creamy yellow, and blue shades.
23. Morning Glory
Botanical Name: Ipomoea
Morning Glory usually blooms from early summer to the first frost in purple, blue, magenta, pink, or white shades. It also attracts pollinators.
Look at the best Morning Glory varieties here
24. May Night Sage
Botanical Name: Salvia nemorosa ‘May Night’
May Night Sage is a compact plant with spikes of dark purple flowers blooming from spring till late summer if you deadhead properly.
25. Verbena
Botanical Name: Verbena
Verbena is another excellent plant with purple flowers for summer gardens as it can tolerate drought-like conditions and extreme heat.
26. Anemone
Botanical Name: Anemone
You can grow Anemone in your summer gardens outdoors as the purple blooming plant adds charm and beauty to the garden.
27. Phlox
Botanical Name: Phlox
This purple bloomer can be another excellent choice because of its beauty, sweet fragrance, and ability to resist diseases. Many varieties are hardy in USDA Zone 4.
28. Lavender
Botanical Name: Lavandula
The calming fragrance of the purple plant is popular for its use in soap-making, potpourris, bath bombs, teas, and more!
Learn about growing Lavender from cuttings here
29. Hydrangea
Botanical Name: Hydrangea macrophylla
One of the most famous shrubs with purple flowers, mophead hydrangeas grow prominent, round flowers on a medium-large-sized shrub.
Want to grow Hydrangeas from cuttings? Click here
30. Clematis
Botanical Name: Clematis
Clematis produces ornamental flowers in a wide variety of shades, and you can find many types that bear vibrant purple flowers.
Find out the best Clematis varieties here
31. Allium
Botanical Name: Allium
Allium is another outdoor plant that produces purple flowers in late spring. Grow ‘Gladiator’ that is smaller than ‘Globemaster’ but is still among the largest ones.
32. Aster
Botanical Name: Aster
Another all-time favorite is Aster, which you can find in various shades of purple, burgundy, amythest, white, yellow, and pink!
33. Boltonia
Botanical Name: Boltonia
Boltonias thrive best in full sunlight and are late summer bloomers. However, it can give your garden a look of flowy clumps of flowers that fill the space in no time!
34. Monkshood
Botanical Name: Aconitum
Monkshood purple blooms appear on spikes, with each flower looking like a hood or helmet. Grow the plants in partial shade and rich soil.
35. Forest Pansy
Botanical Name: Cercis canadensis
Grow it as a small multi-stem tree or a shrub, and it will adorn the place with its purple-maroon leaves. It can also act as a focal point in the garden.
36. Xenox Sedum
Botanical Name: Sedum telephium ‘Xenox’
Sedum Xenox offers an intense beetroot-purple-color foliage that stands out with its sheer vividness! Do remember that it needs plentiful sunlight to grow best.
Check out the most popular Sedums here
37. Bishop of Oxford Dahlia
Botanical Name: Dahlia ‘Bishop of Oxford’
The ‘Bishop’ series of Dahlia is popular for blooms with the most vibrant purple leaves, flower buds, and stems. You can enjoy its blooms in your garden until the first frost.
38. Bellflower
Botanical Name: Campanula
These beautiful blooms, in the shape of bells, can be found in purple or blue shades. They usually grow with minimal care and bloom best in places with good sunlight.
39. Geranium
Botanical Name: Geranium
Star-like purple flowers with five petals can brighten your garden from spring to late summer. It can grow up to 1-2 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide.
Find out the best Geranium varieties here
40. Daylily
Botanical Name: Hemerocallis
Another pretty choice for your summer garden can be Daylily with its trumpet-shaped purple blooms and grass-like stems. It loves well-draining soil and full sunlight.
Learn about the best Daylily varieties here
41. Corydalis
Botanical Name: Corydalis
Corydalis offers delicate tiny flowers and vast mounds of leaves like ferns. It blooms excellent flowers from spring till fall.
42. Meadow Rue
Botanical Name: Thalictrum
Grow this low-maintenance outdoor purple plant with wedge-shaped leaves anywhere you like, as it demands very less attention! It grows fuzzy flowers in full sunlight.
43. Blazing Star
Botanical Name: Liatris
Blazing Star features spike-like feathery flowers. They thrive best outdoors in full sunlight in any soil from summer to fall.
44. Cosmos
Botanical Name: Cosmos bipinnatus
These plants can liven your outdoors with purple flowers that look like daisies. They come in shades of crimson, purple, rose, lavender, and pink with yellow centers.
45. Gladiolus
Botanical Name: Gladiolus
Gladiolus is another easy-to-grow plant that can bloom from summer to fall. It produces flowers in shades of purple, pink, red, orange, yellow, white, cream, and green.
46. Millenium Flowering Onion
Botanical Name: Allium ‘Millenium’
This outdoor flowering purple plant can look beautiful in any garden and bloom best in summer. This purple perennial has glossy grass-like foliage.
47. Foxgloves
Botanical Name: Digitalis
Foxgloves are beautiful purple outdoor plants that stand out every time! You can grow them easily in both gardens and pots.
48. Lisianthus
Botanical Name: Eustoma
With its purple flowers, blue stems, and oval leaves, Lisianthus can light up any garden with its vivid display of awesomeness!
49. Wisteria
Botanical Name: Wisteria
Wisteria can climb very high and looks gorgeous with purple, pink, and blue flowers. This woody vine grows best in bright light.
50. Purple Pansy
Botanical Name: Viola tricolor
These cheerful flowers are an excellent choice for borders or ground covers in your garden. Grow this flowering plant in cool weather, as it can also tolerate frosts.
51. Sea Holly
Botanical Name: Eryngium
If you want a flower that can thrive well even in negligence, look no further than Sea Holly. This European native can grow purple-blue flowers in poor soil with ease.
52. Columbine
Botanical Name: Aquilegia
With delicate flowers that bloom from April to May, Columbine plants stand out with their purple blooms. They look best in rock and cottage gardens.
53. Larkspur
Botanical Name: Delphinium
Larkspur is an annual purple flower with spiky blooms from spring till late summer. For the best colors, expose it to plenty of bright sunlight.
54. Purple Ice Plant
Botanical Name: Lampranthus
Purple Ice Plant displays flowers with fine-textured purple petals around a solid center that blooms from summer to fall. The perennial requires soil with excellent drainage and bright sunlight.
55. Rhapsody in Blue Rose
Botanical Name: Rosa ‘Rhapsody in Blue’
Rhapsody in Blue Rose is a stunning cultivar with purple flowers that loves to grow outdoors. The blooms can stretch up to 2-3 inches and emit a solid orange-like fragrance from late spring till fall.
56. Butterfly Bush
Botanical Name: Buddleja
With its arching branches, Butterfly Bush is a deciduous shrub that produces bright purple flower spikes all summer. It attracts pollinators and thus derives its name.
57. Purple Coneflower
Botanical Name: Echinacea
Purple Coneflower is another ornamental plant with an upright growing habit. It produces daisy-like flowers all summer with dark green foliage.
