- Author: Daniel Patrick
- Published: August 24, 2022
Purple flowers can look gorgeous in your home or garden. I love the color purple personally, and it’s also very popular among plant lovers. It can bring a calming presence while still looking fabulous. Purple-flowering plants also work in any color scheme, as they pair well with pastel plants, vibrantly colored plants, and almost everything in between.
If you’re looking to add some purple flowers to your plant collection, the good news is that you have PLENTY of options. There are many, many plants with purple flowers. So many, in fact, that choosing the best purple flowers for your home and garden is quite the challenge. I hope to make things a little easier for you with this post.
Of course, picking which plants to grow is always a personal thing. There are many factors to consider, some of which will be more important to you than others. For my recommendations in this post, I’ve focused on beautiful purple flowers that look amazing but are also relatively easy to maintain.
Read on for the best purple flowers to grow at home and in your garden.
Best Purple Flowers for Your Garden
The list of purple flowers you can grow outdoors is almost endless. There are purple-flowering plants of many types, in all different shapes and sizes.
After careful consideration, I’ve somehow narrowed my recommendations down to five. Here are my picks for the top purple flowers for your garden.
Garden Cosmos
- Latin Name: Cosmos bipinnatus
- Origin: Latin America
- Bloom Time: Summer through fall
- Life Cycle: Annual
Let’s start with one of my favorite easy-to-grow purple flowers. The garden cosmos is a very resilient plant that can overcome all sorts of challenging conditions once established. It blooms in the summer, and this particular cosmos species will usually grow up to 1.2 meters (four feet) around two months after being planted.
There are plenty of different uses of garden cosmos, and it’s a good choice for almost all outdoor spaces. The plant is comfortably among the most popular purple-cut flowers.
Caradonna Salvia
- Botanical Name: Salvia nemorosa
- Origin: Europe and West-Central Asia
- Bloom Time: Spring through summer
- Life Cycle: Perennial
You may know other species of the Salvia genus better because of their use in medicine. However, the Caradonna cultivar of Salvia nemorosa is among the most beautiful perennial purple flowers to grow in your garden.
This plant has stunning violet flowers that you can enjoy from late spring through the summer and sometimes even into fall. The dark purple stems are another reason why so many people love this plant.
Salvia nemorosa “Caradonna” thrives in most types of soil, which helps make it easy to maintain. It does in best in full sun and is an excellent pollinator for the garden.
Garden Petunia
- Botanical Name: Petunia x hybrida
- Origin: South America
- Bloom Time: Summer
- Life Cycle: Annual
Petunia x hybrida is a brilliant choice if you want smaller plants with purple flowers in your garden. It’s a little harder to look after than some of my other recommended purple flowers because it requires lots of water but must also be well-drained. You’ll need to use the correct soil type and maintain a regular watering schedule.
You can plant garden petunias in containers as well as in the ground. The beautiful purple flowers of the plant are at full display in the summer and are great for ground cover. Although petunia x hybrida doesn’t grow very high, it can spread well to provide a large, colorful section of your garden.
Bellflower
- Botanical Name: Campanula
- Origin: Mediterranean
- Bloom Time: Summer through autumn
- Life Cycle: Annual, Biennial, and Perennial
Campanula is a genus with many species and is one of several genera commonly known as bellflowers. Campanula plants can grow in many colors, one of which is purple.
Most campanulas are sturdy and can grow outside in locations where temperatures are relatively low. The plants typically prefer full sun exposure in colder climates and part shade in warmer climates. They are not too demanding regarding soil requirements and can handle most pests well. All in all, they’re among the easiest purple plants to grow in your garden.
Bellflowers typically bloom in the late summer through the autumn. The vivid colors of the plant are genuinely stunning and will add a great touch to your garden.
Pacific Rhododendron
- Botanical Name: Rhododendron macrophyllum
- Origin: North America
- Bloom Time: Spring to summer
- Life Cycle: Perennial
Pacific rhododendron is an excellent choice if you’re looking for large outdoor purple plants as it can grow up to 9 meters (30 feet) tall. You’ll need to be patient, though, as it’s a slow grower.
Adding Pacific rhododendrons to your garden is relatively easy because the plant adapts well to different conditions. It grows best in dappled shade and shelter but will tolerate more open conditions if protected from cold and drying winds.
Treat your Pacific rhododendron plants correctly, and you will love the results. These evergreen shrubs bloom in the late spring, and the exquisite flowers range from pink to purple.
Fun Fact: The Pacific rhododendron is the state flower of Washington, where you will often hear the plants referred to as “rhodies.”
Best Purple Houseplants
You also have plenty of options if you don’t have a garden or are looking to grow purple flowers indoors. There are some wonderful purple houseplants that will really brighten up your home.
My favorite purple indoor plants not only look great, but they’re also relatively easy to grow and look after. Let’s take a look at them!
African Violets
- Botanical Name: Streptocarpus ionanthus
- Origin: East Africa
- Bloom Time: All year
- Life Cycle: Perennial
I absolutely love African violets. They’re gorgeous plants that are relatively easy to maintain and bloom all year. As they are not toxic to most pets, they’re pretty much perfect if you want to grow purple flowers indoors.
African violets will thrive in almost any pot for houseplants and have very little in the way of specific requirements. They will typically grow best in a warm location with some protection from full sun.
- How to Care for African Violets (Almanac.com)
- Best Pots for Growing African Violets (Gardenzy.com Blog)
Inch Plant
- Botanical Name: Tradescantia zebrina
- Origin: Mexico
- Bloom Time: Spring to summer
- Life Cycle: Perennial
The inch plant is one of the easiest purple houseplants to grow, making it ideal for beginner gardeners. Its colorful foliage really draws attention thanks to the dark green and purple leaves, and the plant also blooms flowers in the spring.
I recommend growing inch plants in hanging baskets. Not only do they look great as hanging plants, but this approach will also keep them away from your pets. Inch plants are toxic to most domestic animals, so you don’t want your plants munching on them.
Purple Shamrock
- Botanical Name: Oxalis triangularis
- Origin: Brazil
- Bloom Time: Mostly summer
- Life Cycle: Perennial
Purple shamrocks can grow outdoors and will thrive in the right conditions. However, they have some requirements that mean they are typically better as houseplants. They’re also one of the most vibrant purple flowers you can grow indoors, and their dazzling appearance will enliven any home.
You will need a well-draining pot and a temperature of between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius (around 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit) to grow purple shamrocks. Regular watering is essential, and I recommend some fertilizer every few weeks.
Purple shamrocks are poisonous to pets and humans, which is perhaps why these plants aren’t especially popular as houseplants.
Vanda Orchid
- Botanical Name: Vanda
- Origin: Southeast Asia
- Bloom Time: Any time of the year, most commonly between spring and fall.
- Life Cycle: Perennial
No list of splendid purple houseplants would be complete without mentioning Vanda orchids. Vanda is a genus of over 80 species, many of which bloom purple flowers. The heat-loving flowers come in other colors too, but the purple variants are breathtakingly beautiful.
Native to Asia, Vanda orchids need warm weather. They also thrive on high humidity. You’ll struggle to grow these plants in cold, dry locations, so bear that in mind. More positively, pet owners will be happy to know that Vanda orchids aren’t toxic to dogs or cats.
Purple Passionflower
- Botanical Name: Passiflora incarnata
- Origin: Southeastern United States
- Bloom Time: Late spring to summer
- Life Cycle: Perennial
There are many species of passionflower, but only a few work as houseplants. Passiflora incarnata, or the purple passionflower, is one of the prettiest. It’s also known as wild apricot, maypop, and wild passion vine.
This plant is very unusual, with thin petals and a corolla that some say looks like Jesus’ crown of thorns. While it’s not too difficult to care for, it does have some specific requirements.
The purple passionflower needs moist but well-draining soil with a pH of between 6.1 and 7.5. It also requires regular fertilizing, some pruning, and exposure to sunshine. The rewards for getting that all right are some stunning purple flowers in the summer.
As well as their beauty, passionflower plants may offer some health benefits. For example, Passiflora incarnata may help with anxiety and insomnia.
More Beautiful Plants with Purple Flowers
I had many more exquisite purple flowers under consideration for this list. Leaving some of them out was hard, so I had to include a few honorable mentions.
Here are some other purple plants to grow indoors and outdoors that I also like a lot.
- Verbena: A beautiful purple flower for your garden that is not too hard to grow. It blooms in the summer and has one of my favorite plant nicknames; the Ancient Egyptians called it “Tears of Isis”!
- Lavender: One of the most popular purple plants in countries with colder climates. Lavender or Lavandula can be grown in pots or gardens with equal success.
- Prayer Plant: The leaves are what make the prayer plant truly special. They are dark green with some yellow and purple in the mix. Although prayer plants require plenty of care, the effort is well worth it.
- Chinese Evergreen: One of the easiest purple plants you can grow at home, the Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) doesn’t require much care and looks fantastic. It’s an excellent choice for beginners and busy gardeners.
- Persian Shield Plant: Also called the Royal Purple plant because of its neon purple leaves, the Persian shield plant is among the few purple plants that bloom in the winter. It can be evergreen if you grow it in a warm climate.
- Christmas Cactus: Another popular purple houseplant that doesn’t require much care and is easy to grow in your home. Native to the rainforests of Brazil, the Christmas cactus looks very different to the desert-dwelling cacti we’re all familiar with.
- Pansy: The heart-shaped petals of pansies are stunning. They usually combine a few colors, so pansies are an excellent choice if you like your plants with some contrast.
- Crocus: One of the purple flowers that bloom in the early spring, the Crocus can bring brightness back after a long winter. It’s a relatively small plant but colorful enough to have an impact.
- Cyclamen: Many species of Cyclamen bloom in the colder months of the year. Some are hardy, others are difficult to maintain, but most are exceptionally pretty!
- Candytuft: I love Candytufts for their fragrance as much as their purple flowers. They are great ornamental plants for locations with full sun or light shade.
Summary
Choosing which plants to grow is something that lots of gardeners find challenging. There are many species and varieties to choose from, each of which has its own unique set of characteristics.
Hopefully, I’ve helped you decide which purple flowers you want in your house and garden. There should be at least a few I’ve mentioned that are good choices for you.
If you go ahead with one or more of my recommendations, please drop me a comment below to let me know what you went for and how it worked out. I also welcome any comments about other purple flowers you think I should have included here.
Finally, here are some other posts that can help you choose the best plants to grow at home.