Names For Purple Things – The Ultimate Gardener’S Guide To Planting A

ByRimon Chowdhury Updated on

Ever look at your garden and feel like it’s missing that certain something? That pop of color that feels both calming and regal, that draws the eye and makes your green space feel truly special?

Well, my friend, the answer might just be purple. It’s a color of majesty, creativity, and tranquility, and it has a magical way of transforming any garden bed from ordinary to extraordinary.

But knowing where to start can be overwhelming. That’s why I’ve created this complete guide. I promise to show you a world of stunning purple plants you can grow, from brilliant flowers to delicious vegetables. We’ll explore a huge list of names for purple things to plant, share design tips for creating beautiful color combinations, and provide a simple care guide to ensure your purple beauties thrive.

Let’s dig in and paint your garden purple!

Why Every Garden Needs a Touch of Purple: The Surprising Benefits

Adding purple to your garden isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a smart move for creating a healthier, more vibrant ecosystem. This section explores the real benefits of names for purple things you choose to plant.

First, purple is a pollinator magnet. Bees, in particular, are highly attracted to shades of violet and blue. Planting purple flowers like Lavender, Salvia, and Catmint is like rolling out a welcome mat for these essential garden helpers. More pollinators mean better fruit and vegetable yields and a healthier garden overall.

Second, purple is an incredibly versatile design tool. It can act as a cool, calming anchor in a hot-colored scheme of reds and oranges, or it can create a sophisticated, harmonious look when paired with blues and pinks. A deep purple, like the ‘Queen of Night’ tulip, can add drama and depth, while a soft lilac can create a light, airy feel.

Finally, there’s a purple plant for nearly every garden situation. Need something for full sun that laughs at drought? Try Russian Sage. Looking for a shade-loving plant with stunning foliage? A purple-leafed Heuchera is your answer. This adaptability makes it an easy color to incorporate, no matter your climate or soil type.

The Ultimate Names for Purple Things Guide: Flowers, Foliage, and More

Ready for the fun part? Here is a comprehensive list of some of my favorite purple plants. This names for purple things guide is broken down by plant type to help you find the perfect fit for your garden beds, borders, and containers.

Hardy Purple Perennials for Year-After-Year Beauty

Perennials are the backbone of any garden, returning each year to greet you. Here are a few reliable purple bloomers.

  • Lavender (Lavandula): The quintessential purple plant! Famous for its soothing fragrance and silvery foliage. It loves full sun and well-draining soil. Pro Tip: Don’t overwater lavender; it prefers to be on the drier side.
  • Salvia (Salvia nemorosa): These plants produce stunning spires of deep purple flowers that are irresistible to hummingbirds and bees. They are incredibly tough and bloom for weeks. ‘Caradonna’ is a standout variety with striking dark stems.
  • Catmint (Nepeta): A billowy, soft-textured plant with clouds of lavender-blue flowers. It’s drought-tolerant, deer-resistant, and incredibly low-maintenance. Don’t worry—these flowers are perfect for beginners!
  • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea): A native powerhouse that supports local wildlife. Its classic daisy-like shape with a prominent cone is a garden staple. It’s a fantastic, eco-friendly names for purple things choice.

Easy-to-Grow Purple Annuals

Annuals give you a full season of color for a small investment. They are perfect for filling in gaps and adding a splash of purple to containers.

  • Petunia: Modern petunias come in every shade of purple imaginable, from deep velvet to soft lilac, some with beautiful veining. They are perfect for hanging baskets and window boxes.
  • Verbena (Verbena bonariensis): Also known as Tall Verbena, this plant has wiry stems topped with clusters of tiny purple flowers. It adds a wonderful, see-through texture to the garden and self-seeds politely.
  • Ageratum (Floss Flower): Known for its fuzzy, button-like flowers, Ageratum provides a unique texture and a lovely shade of powder-purple. It’s great for edging borders.
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Dramatic Purple Shrubs and Vines

For structure and vertical interest, you can’t beat these woody plants.

  • Clematis: The queen of flowering vines! Varieties like ‘Jackmanii’ offer huge, velvety purple flowers that can cover a trellis or arbor in a single season.
  • Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii): As the name suggests, this shrub is a magnet for butterflies. Its long, arching panicles of honey-scented purple flowers are a delight all summer long.
  • Lilac (Syringa vulgaris): Is there any scent more nostalgic than a lilac in spring? These hardy shrubs provide glorious, fragrant blooms in shades of lilac and deep purple.

Beyond the Bloom: Edible Purple Powerhouses for Your Veggie Patch

Why limit purple to your flower beds? Bringing this royal hue into your vegetable garden is not only beautiful but also nutritious. Many purple vegetables are packed with anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants that give them their color.

Must-Have Purple Vegetables

Imagine serving a salad with purple carrots or roasting purple potatoes! Here are some fun and easy-to-grow options:

  • ‘Purple Haze’ Carrots: A sweet and delicious carrot with a vibrant purple exterior and a bright orange core. Kids love them!
  • ‘Dragon Tongue’ Beans: These stunning bush beans are light green-yellow with brilliant purple streaks. They are tender, delicious, and grow prolifically.
  • Eggplant: The classic purple vegetable. Varieties like ‘Black Beauty’ are easy to grow and incredibly productive in a sunny spot.
  • Purple Cabbage: A beautiful and crunchy addition to salads and slaws. Its color deepens in cooler weather.

Aromatic Purple Herbs

Many herbs also come in purple varieties, offering dual benefits for the eyes and the kitchen.

  • Purple Basil: Offers the same great flavor as its green cousin but with gorgeous, deep purple leaves. It looks incredible planted next to green foliage.
  • Purple Sage: A beautiful, soft-textured herb with dusky purple leaves. It’s more ornamental than culinary sage but can still be used sparingly in cooking.

How to Design with Purple: Best Practices for a Harmonious Garden

Now that you have some ideas, let’s talk about how to use them. Following these names for purple things best practices for garden design will help you create a cohesive and professional-looking space.

Creating a Monochromatic Masterpiece

Don’t be afraid to layer different shades of purple. Combine a deep violet Salvia with a soft lavender Catmint and a pale lilac Petunia. This creates a rich, textured look that has a lot of depth and interest without feeling chaotic.

Perfect Color Pairings

Purple plays beautifully with other colors. For a bold, high-contrast look, pair it with its complementary color, yellow. Think purple Alliums popping up through a sea of yellow Lady’s Mantle. For a soft, elegant combination, plant purple next to silver foliage plants like Lamb’s Ear. And for a romantic, cottage-garden feel, you can’t go wrong with purple and pink.

Thinking About Texture and Form

A great garden design considers more than just color. Mix up plant shapes and sizes. The tall, spiky flowers of Liatris look fantastic next to the soft, mounding form of a purple-leaf Heuchera. The large, bold leaves of a Hosta can anchor a delicate cloud of Tall Verbena.

A Simple Care Guide for Your Purple Beauties

While every plant has specific needs, this general names for purple things care guide will set you on the right path for most of the popular purple plants we’ve discussed.

  1. Give Them Sun: Most purple-flowering plants produce their most vibrant colors in full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day). If your purple blooms look faded, a lack of sun is often the culprit.
  2. Ensure Good Drainage: Very few plants like to sit in soggy soil. Amend heavy clay soil with compost or other organic matter to improve its structure and drainage. This is especially critical for Mediterranean plants like Lavender.
  3. Water Deeply, Not Daily: It’s better to give your plants a good, deep soak once or twice a week than a light sprinkle every day. This encourages deep root growth, making them more resilient.
  4. Go Easy on Fertilizer: Too much nitrogen fertilizer can lead to lush green leaves but fewer flowers. A layer of compost in the spring is often all that’s needed.

Solving Common Problems with Purple Plants

Even the best gardeners run into issues. Here’s a quick look at some common problems with names for purple things and how to easily solve them.

The Problem: My plants are getting tall and floppy, with few flowers at the base.
The Solution: This is called “leggy” growth. It’s common in plants like Petunias and Catmint. Don’t be afraid to give them a “haircut” mid-season. Trimming them back by about one-third will encourage bushier growth and a whole new flush of blooms.

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The Problem: I see a white, dusty coating on the leaves of my Lilac (or Bee Balm).
The Solution: That’s powdery mildew, a common fungal issue. It thrives in humid conditions with poor air circulation. The best defense is prevention. Give your plants enough space when you plant them so air can move freely between them.

The Problem: The color of my flowers seems washed out.
The Solution: As mentioned in the care guide, this is almost always due to a lack of sunlight. If possible, move the plant to a sunnier spot. If it’s a perennial, make a note to transplant it in the fall or next spring.

Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Choices for a Purple Garden

Creating a beautiful garden can and should go hand-in-hand with supporting our local environment. Choosing sustainable names for purple things is a fantastic way to do this.

The best place to start is with native plants. Plants that are native to your region are naturally adapted to your climate and soil. They require less water, no fertilizer, and are the best food source for local pollinators and wildlife. Look for native purple powerhouses like Purple Coneflower (Echinacea), Blazing Star (Liatris), or Wild Geranium.

Another great eco-friendly names for purple things strategy is to select drought-tolerant plants. Varieties like Russian Sage, Lavender, and Yarrow have beautiful purple tones and require very little water once established. This is a smart choice for saving water and reducing garden chores.

Frequently Asked Questions About Names for Purple Things in the Garden

What are the easiest purple flowers for beginners?

For beginners, I always recommend ‘May Night’ Salvia, ‘Walker’s Low’ Catmint, and Wave Petunias. All three are incredibly forgiving, bloom for a very long time, and are not particularly fussy about soil. They provide a huge color payoff for very little effort!

How do I keep my purple flowers blooming all summer?

The secret is deadheading! This simply means pinching or snipping off the spent flowers once they start to fade. This prevents the plant from putting energy into making seeds and instead encourages it to produce more blooms. This works wonders for annuals like Petunias and perennials like Salvia.

Can I grow purple plants in containers?

Absolutely! Most annuals, like Verbena, Petunias, and Alyssum, are perfect for containers. Many perennials also do well, including smaller varieties of Salvia and Heuchera. Just make sure your pot has good drainage holes and use a quality potting mix.

What purple plants do well in the shade?

While many purple bloomers love sun, you have great options for shade, too. Hostas come in varieties with stunning purple-tinged leaves. Astilbe produces feathery purple plumes in partial shade, and the rich, deep purple foliage of many Coral Bells (Heuchera) varieties actually looks best out of the harsh afternoon sun.

Your Purple Paradise Awaits

There you have it—your complete guide to bringing the magic of purple into your garden. From the first crocuses of spring to the last asters of fall, there is a purple plant ready to add beauty and life to your outdoor space.

Remember that gardening is a journey, not a destination. Don’t be afraid to experiment, move things around, and see what color combinations make you happy.

So go ahead, pick a few purple beauties from this list and start planting. Your garden (and the bees!) will thank you for it. Happy gardening!

Rimon Chowdhury
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