If you are looking for a lovely shrub and ornamental houseplant that will beautify your indoor space or add vivid visual appeal to your landscape, look no further than purple-leaved plants.
Purple is a unique leaf color for garden shrubs, ornamentals, and houseplants. Several purple-leafed plants have dark purple leaves.
Certain purple-leafed plants like the purple shamrock, Persian shield, and tradescantias grow dark purple leaves, stand out with brightly colored blooms, and contrast with other green-leafed plants. Some other tropical plants feature foliage in purple shades, while some have variegated purple leaves.
Read down to see some of the most popular plants with purple leaves from our collection.
Jump to:
- Most Popular Plants With Purple Leaves
- 1. Purple Shamrock (Oxalis Triangularis)
- 2. Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea
- 3. Purple Velvet Plant (Gynura Aurantiaca)
- 4. Black Scallop Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans ‘Black Scallop’)
- 5. Chinese Fringe Flower ‘Ever Red’ (Loropetalum chinense ‘Ever Red’)
- 6. Purple Leaf Weigela (Weigela florida ‘Wine & Roses’)
- 7. Dahlia ‘Bishop of Oxford’
- 8. Hydrangea quercifolia
- 9. Boat Lily (Tradescantia spathacea)
- 10. Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina)
- 11. Cornus ‘Kesselringii’
- 12. Canna Lily ‘Purpurea’ (Canna indica ‘Purpurea’)
- 13. Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’
- 14. Dwarf Barberry Shrubs (Berberis thunbergii)
- 15. Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus)
- 16. Cotinus ‘Royal Purple‘
- 17. Sedum telephium ‘Xenox.’
- 18. Ornamental Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
- 19. Echeveria ‘Black Prince’
- 20. Purple Philodendron Rojo Congo
- Conclusion
Most Popular Plants With Purple Leaves
1. Purple Shamrock (Oxalis Triangularis)
The purple shamrock is a decorative plant with dark purple triangular leaves. They are purple-leafed plants with trifoliate leaves that resemble purple shamrocks. One of their unique features is that if you disturb them during late hours, they have the habit of closing their dark leaves.
Also called false shamrock or purple wood sorrel, this plant is a perennial flowering ideal as a low-growing foliage plant in gardens or as a potted houseplant.
The purple shamrock features deep burgundy-maroon deltoid leaves that reach a height of 0.5 to 1.5 feet (15 to 45cm). Three triangular purple leaves tend to grow on a stalk measuring around 3 inches (75mm).
2. Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea
Berberis species are famous for their spines and tolerant, robust nature but aren’t given much credit for decorative qualities. It is a deciduous species that features reddish-purple leaves.
The leaves sitting on tender shoots are pinker and offer an excellent effect whenever shrubs are outlined with fuzzy new growth.
Meanwhile, berberis specie also produces bright yellow flowers during the summer and glossy red berries in autumn. This unique plant thrives in any soil and full sun. It is a perfect prospect for clipping into topiary shapes.
3. Purple Velvet Plant (Gynura Aurantiaca)
Also called Purple Passion Vine, the purple velvet is a low-growing evergreen specie that features purple and green leaves. It has velvety, fuzzy leaves with a dark green upper side and a bright purple underside. It also features purple branches and slender orange-yellow blooms.
Meanwhile, the purple velvet plant is a tropical plant that thrives in partial to full shade and is hardy in USDA zones 10 to 12. Its furry purple leaves are 8 feet (20cm) long, an ovate featuring coarsely toothed margins, and are surrounded by reddish-purple foliage.
It is a perfect prospect for hanging baskets, as its vining stems can reach around 2 feet (0.6m) long.
4. Black Scallop Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans ‘Black Scallop’)
Black scallop bugleweed is a low-growing spreading plant with bright purple leaves and glossy purple foliage that adds a unique color to your garden. It grows slender spikes of lavender blooms in spring, which is an addition to its evergreen leaves.
This plant can reach about 4 to 6 feet tall and 12 feet spread. It thrives in part-sun areas and is suitable in flower beds, rock gardens, or as a dark accent between stepping stones.
5. Chinese Fringe Flower ‘Ever Red’ (Loropetalum chinense ‘Ever Red’)
The evergreen Chinese fringe flower cultivar features red blooms that blend excellently against its dark purple foliage. It is one of the most popular plants on our list that can reach 6 feet tall and is most notable for its dark purple burgundy leaves and shiny colored delicate red blooms with spindly petals.
The Chinese fringe plant produces red flower clusters growing alongside its leathery leaves during late winter and early spring, creating outstanding contrast of bright pink-red blooms and dark purple foliage. In USDA zones 7 to 9, this lovely plant prefers full sun and is best suitable as a specimen plant.
6. Purple Leaf Weigela (Weigela florida ‘Wine & Roses’)
One of the most popular plants with purple leaves in our top list is Purple Leaf Weigela. It is a unique deciduous shrub featuring narrowly ovate dark purple leaves. Thanks to its rosy-pink trumpet shaped-flowers, this lovely plant maintains its beautiful colors all season.
In USDA zones 4 to 8, the weigela specie features attractive purple foliage reaching 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5m) tall. It is an award-winning, purple-leafed perennial ideal for plant borders, foundation, or specimen shrub plantings.
7. Dahlia ‘Bishop of Oxford’
Dahlias have something autumnal about their warm orange blooms that come with the dark purple on dahlia ‘Bishop of Oxford.
Commonly called Bishop, this Dahlia specie is a popular purple-leafed specie that is well-known for its blooms but also possesses stunning stems and flower buds. It grows deep into the first frost of winter and can reach about 90cm tall.
8. Hydrangea quercifolia
Also known as the oak-leaved hydrangea, the quercifolia is a popular shrub that will thrive in moist but well-drained soil and sun or partial shade condition.
It features uniquely large shaped leaves that come in green color in the summer but change to purple during the autumn, gradually giving way to claret and crimson.
9. Boat Lily (Tradescantia spathacea)
Also called oyster plant, cradle lily, and Moses-in-a-boat, the boat lily is an evergreen perennial with sword-shaped dark green and purple leaves. It also has tiny, pointed leaves that grow in a rosette style and measure about 12 feet (30cm) tall.
This unique plant can add enough visual appeal to any interior thanks to its purple and green foliage and small boat-shaped white blooms.
10. Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina)
Also known as the spiderwort plant, the wandering Jew is a tropical houseplant popular for its lance-shaped purple and green striped leaves.
It is a variegated, purple-leafed plant that features stripy leaves that are green and pale gray on top and purple underneath. In USDA zones 8 to 12, these gorgeous striped leaves beautify hanging baskets or are used as a ground cover.
11. Cornus ‘Kesselringii’
Dogwood features oval leaves with a purplish tinge, which complement its purple stems, ideally in the summer.
During autumn, their color darkens and deepens to red and purple shades compared to clusters of white berries when producing before falling and displaying the shrub’s incredible stems. It becomes deeper purple-black during the winter.
12. Canna Lily ‘Purpurea’ (Canna indica ‘Purpurea’)
Canna Lily is a lovely purple and red-leafed plant featuring large, broad leaves and stunning orange blooms. It is a tall tropical plant with foliage in oval, dark purple leaves with striking neon-red veins.
It grows densely, reaching about 4 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m) tall and 3 feet (1m) wide. This plant is excellent behind borders or mass planting along walls or foundations.
13. Heuchera ‘Midnight Rose’
Midnight Rose, as commonly called, is likened to a marmite in the garden. Thanks to its purple and hot pink leaves, it is a favorite plant of many garden enthusiasts. If growing Heuchera in pots, you must take adequate precautions against vine weevil.
Vine weevils will do well in the open ground and thrive in the sun or shade. It produces more of its pink-colored blooms in the spring.
14. Dwarf Barberry Shrubs (Berberis thunbergii)
Dwarf Barberry shrubs are thorny bushes featuring small, oval reddish-purple leaves. It has colorful foliage and compact growth nature, making the plants look more beautiful.
Additionally, the purple leaves of the Berberis thunbergii grow on barbed stems, which makes the shrub a perfect option for a security barrier or as a foundation plant.
15. Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus)
This stunning foliage plant, Persian Shield, is a very exotic, tender perennial with purple, bright purple, green, and even silver leaves. This unique silvery foliage it carries features light to dark purple shading in the middle that has bold, dark green veins and margins.
Meanwhile, each purple and green lance-shaped leaf can reach up to 7 feet (21cm) long. The Persian shield is an easy-to-grow and maintained plant that loves shade. It is a rapid-growing, mounding shrub suitable in pots, hanging baskets, or even in a semi-tropical shade garden.
16. Cotinus ‘Royal Purple‘
If you are looking for a purple color plant that will decorate your home or landscape, you should look no further than Cotinus ‘Royal Purple.
It is a perfect ornamental option that is popular among many plant enthusiasts. It features dark purple leaves that offset your borders with a lovely dark appeal.
Also known as the smoke bush, the cotinus specie grows round-shaped leaves bigger if you prune back hard every year. This hardy plant thrives in sun or dappled shade and requires moist but well-drained soil.
However, it produces its best color in a sunny location. Cotinus can grow up to 8m tall and survive hard pruning to keep it in good shape.
17. Sedum telephium ‘Xenox.’
Most of the widespread Sedum telephium species feature purple leaves; however, arguably, the best of them all is the Xenox variety. This type features a strong beetroot-purple that produces its best color during the autumn, while other perennials become spent.
The foliage color of xenox tends to deepen whenever it starts producing its flower clusters, growing on top of the edible leaves like stalks of reddish-pink broccoli.
This plant tends to last deep into the winter as seedheads. It is also a rabbit-resistant plant and very attractive to pollinators. It doesn’t require much maintenance and can reach 30cm tall.
18. Ornamental Cabbage (Brassica oleracea)
One of the most popular plants with purple leaves on our list is the bitter taste Ornamental Cabbage. This shrub is most commonly grown annually because of its attractive foliage. It features leafy rosettes in light to deep shades of purple.
The Brassica oleracea has purple and green foliage with curly margins. Many of its most beautiful varieties come with white and green leaves alongside pale iliac centers, while others feature blackish-purple leaves alongside a bold pink-purple center.
19. Echeveria ‘Black Prince’
It doesn’t matter where this beautiful plant comes on this list; the Echeveria “Black Prince’ is arguably one of the most popular specie with purple leaves.
Forget about its name and focus on its gorgeous deep purple leaves that grow in a rosette form. These fleshy purple leaves are pointed, thick, and juicy and deepen in color in full sun.
20. Purple Philodendron Rojo Congo
It is called Purple Philodendron Rojo Congo because of its deep purple leaves. This stunning plant is one of the most popular houseplants, with large, broad, dark-purple leaves and purple stems.
It produces new leathery, deep burgundy leaves that turn purplish-black before finally changing to rich green.
Purple Philodendron Rojo Congo is easy to grow and maintain and features elongated dark round-shaped leaves. Meanwhile, this unique houseplant can reach up to 2 feet (0.6m) tall and spread and does best in bright indirect light and moist but well-drained soil.
Conclusion
If you want to light up your indoor space or landscape, the best way to achieve that is by growing any or some of these popular plants with purple leaves.
Not only are they the perfect ornamental plants for any space, but they are also easy to care for, making them perfect for beginner plants or gardeners with a busy schedule.
Happy Gardening!!!
