A Plants are grown in the garden and landscape for many reasons. Maybe for providing shade. Some attract wildlife such as butterflies, birds or squirrels. They sometimes can act as a privacy fence. Some produce edible nuts and fruits. And some flowering trees are planted because of the amazing blooms they are covered with in fall, spring or summer.
Flowering trees in shades of lavender and violet make an attractive addition to the garden or lawn, and purple flowering plants are no exception. Available in a range of shades, purple flowers not only brighten up the garden but also add some fragrance to your garden, even some varieties contain medical benefits too.
Traditionally, purple is the color of royalty and magistrates, but also is evolved to symbolize dignity, success, and pride.
So, if you are looking for a touch of nobility to change the look and appeal your garden and even wedding decoration, adding some purple flowering plants is the best way.
Let’s get some purple with the list of 50+ purple flowers and discover the varieties best suited to your garden design.
A collection of 50+ purple flowers
Butterfly Bush
Botanical Name: Buddleia davidii
Plant type: Perennial, shrub
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 5-10
Blooms: From Summer to Fall
Flower features: Fragrant, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies – hence the name
Gloxinia
Botanical Name: Sinningia speciosa
Plant type: Annual
Sun Exposure: Partial shade
Growing zones: 5-10
Blooms: Late Spring to Early Fall
Flower features: Brilliantly colored trumpet-shaped
Bittersweet Nightshade
Botanical Name: Solanum dulcamara
Plant type: Perennial, Vine
Sun Exposure: Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-8
Blooms: Spring to Fall
Flower features: Attract bumblebees and Halictid bees, Contain solanine, an alkaloid glycoside
Clematis
Botanical Name: Clematis spp.
Group: Climbers, shrubs, perennials
Sun Exposure: Full sun (Some clematis cultivars will bloom in partial shade)
Growing zones: 3-9
Blooms: Winter to late Summer
Flower features: Large blossoms ( Some are smaller blossoms, double blossoms, and lovely bell-like flowers). Colors range from white to wine red, lavender to deep purple, and even a few yellow ones.
Verbena
Botanical Name: Verbena bonariensis
Plant type: Annual, Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 9-11
Blooms: Early Summer to early Fall
Flower features: Fragrance, Good for Containers, Drought Resistant
Common Vetch
Botanical Name: Vicia sativa L.
Group: Climbers, annuals, perennials
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Blooms: Mid Spring to mid Summer
Flower features: Fragrance, Attract bumblebees and other long-tongued bees.
Bellflower
Botanical Name: Campanula
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 3-9
Blooms: Mid Summer to Fall
Flower features: Bell-shaped, mostly blue to purple, sometimes white or pink
Dwarf Iris
Botanical Name: Iris Reticulata
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 5-9
Blooms: Early spring
Flower features: Showy, Fragrant, Good Cut, relatively large (iris-shaped) flowers on a short stem.
Design ideas: good for rock gardens, under shrubs and tress, in beds, at the front of borders and containers and for indoor forcing.
Balloon Flower
Botanical Name: Platycodon
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 3-9
Blooms: Summer
Flower features: Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance
Design ideas: great in rock gardens, mixed borders, or cutting gardens.
Catmint
Botanical Name: Nepeta
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 3-8
Blooms: Early Summer
Flower features: Produce clusters of purple flowers that attract butterflies
Spiderwort
Botanical Name: Tradescantia
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-7
Blooms: Summer to Early Fall
Flower features: Purplish-blue (concord grape), three-petale.
Salvia
Botanical Name: Salvia officinalis
Plant type: Annual
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-9
Blooms: Summer
Flower features: attractive to bees and butterflies
Monkshood
Botanical Name: Aconitum napellus
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 3-7
Blooms: Mid to late Summer
Flower features: dark purple to bluish-purple, narrow oblong helmet-shaped that somewhat resembles the hood worn by medieval monks, hence the common names of monkshood and helmet flower.
Allium
Botanical Name: Allium giganteum
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 5-8
Blooms: Late Spring to early Summer
Flower features: fragrant, purple and bee-friendly flowers, attract butterflies, make excellent cut flowers for fresh or dried bouquets.
Lily Of The Nile
Botanical Name: Agapanthus africanus
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 8-11
Blooms: Late Spring to early Summer
Flower features: blooms in large round clusters ranging from light-blue to deep-violet, attracts Butterflies, attracts Hummingbirds, Flowers for Cutting.
Alpine Betony
Botanical Name: Stachys monieri
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 4-9
Blooms: Early Summer
Flower features: Showy, Good cut, lavender-purple flowers.
Bee Orchid
Botanical Name: Ophrys apifera
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 6-9
Blooms: Summer
Flower features: Named for their bee-like shape, these orchids attract male bees. Comes in many different color combinations. 3 outer petals range from white to purple and the central lip can be a solid color or dotted.
Anemone
Botanical Name: Anemone nemorosa
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Partial shade
Growing zones: 3-9
Blooms: Early Spring or Fall
Flower features: white, often reddish outside but may be purple or violet.
Blue-Eyed Grass
Botanical Name: Sisyrinchium bermudiana L
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-9
Blooms: Summer
Flower features: small, bright-purple flower
Design ideas: Best used as a border front, in rock gardens, to line pathways, or at the woodland’s edge.
Wild Indigo
Botanical Name: Baptisia australis
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 3-9
Blooms: Late Spring, early Summer
Flower features: long spikes of pea-like flowers, in shades of violet-blue, attract butterflies and Birds
Design ideas: Cottages gardens, borders, meadows and native plant gardens.
China Aster
Botanical Name: Callistephus chinensis
Plant type: Annual
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 2-11
Blooms: Summer
Flower features: Cultivar shades of white to pink, red, blue,violet, purple and yellow, attract butterflies and Birds
Design ideas: Used as part of a border and also used often as a cut flower in arrangements.
Wild Hyacinth
Botanical Name: Dichelostemma capitatum
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 10-11
Blooms: Late Spring, early Summer
Flower features: A ball-shaped cluster of up to 20 individual purple flowers blooms on top of a slender stem.
Canterbury Bells
Botanical Name: Campanula medium
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-10
Blooms: Summer
Flower features: Comes in many color, bell-shaped flowers are short-stalked, large and hermaphroditic, with different shades of violet-blue or rarely white.
Uses for garden: Beds and borders
Sea Thistle
Botanical Name: Cirsium japonicum
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 8-10
Blooms: Late Spring to Early Summer
Flower features: as cut flowers, usually purple, rose or pink, also yellow or white; attract bees, butterflies and birds.
Calla Lily
Botanical Name: Zantedeschia
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 5-8
Blooms: Late Spring to mid Summer
Flower features: as cut flowers, purple, trumpet-shaped.
Common Mallow
Botanical Name: Malva neglecta
Plant type: Annual, Perennial, Edible
Sun Exposure: Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-8
Blooms: Early Summer to mid Fall
Flower features: showy papery white, to light pink to light purple, 5 petaled flowers . Attract Bees, butterflies.
Ranunculus
Botanical Name: Malva neglecta
Plant type: Annual, Perennial, Edible
Sun Exposure: Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-8
Blooms: Early Summer to mid Fall
Flower features:
Candytuft
Botanical Name: Iberis pruitii
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 7-11
Blooms: Summer, Fall
Flower features: 2″ clusters of purple or red-tinged white flowers
Cyclamen
Botanical Name: Cyclamen persicum
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 5
Blooms: Fall, Winter
Flower features: are not only striking, pretty and colorful but full of poise and elegance, attract butterflies.
Columbine
Botanical Name: Aquilegia
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 3-8
Blooms: Late Spring to early Summer
Flower features: Bell-shaped, come in variety of colors, are a favorite of hummingbirds.
Dinner Plate Dahlia
Botanical Name: Dahlia
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 3-10
Blooms: Mid Summer to Fall
Flower features: Cut Flowers, attract butterflies.
Fuchsia
Botanical Name: Fuchsia magellanica
Plant type: Annual and Perennial
Sun Exposure: Partial shade
Growing zones: 9-10
Blooms: Early to late Summer and mid Fall
Flower features: delicate dangling bell-like flowers, crimson with a purple centre, attract butterflies.
Foxgloves
Botanical Name: Digitalis purpurea
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-10
Blooms: Mid Summer
Flower features: A wide array of color white, pink to purple, attract butterflies and birds.
Gladiolus
Botanical Name: Gladiolus hortulanus
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 6-10
Blooms: Early Summer to mid Fall
Flower features: make a great cut flower, showy and fragrant flowers, come in variety of colors: white, cream, yellow, orange, red, pink, green lavender & purple.
Waxflower
Botanical Name: Chamelaucium
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 9-11
Blooms: Late Winter
Flower features: range from deep purple to bright red, attract butterflies.
Perennial Geranium
Botanical Name: Geranium
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-8
Blooms: Late Winter
Flower features: Ranging from white to deep blue, best planted as a border and in containers.
Heliotrope
Botanical Name: Heliotropium peruvianum
Plant type: Annual, Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 10-11
Blooms: Summer to Fall
Flower features: Features sweetly fragrant, tiny purple or violet flowers in large showy clusters
Honesty
Botanical Name: Lunaria annua
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-8
Blooms: Spring and early Summer
Flower features: Dark-purple, fragrant flowers
Lilac
Botanical Name: Syringa vulgaris
Plant type: Annual and Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 3-7
Blooms: Spring
Flower features: is a shade of purple (often a light purple or lilac), but white, pale yellow and even a dark burgundy color are also found.
Lupine
Botanical Name: Lupinus perennis
Plant type: Annual and Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 3-9
Blooms: Summer
Flower features: Showy, elongate clusters of purple, pea-like flowers.
Lisianthus
Botanical Name: Eustoma russellianum
Plant type: Annual
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 9-11
Blooms: Summer
Flower features: Double and single Lisianthus flower varieties, come in various colors such as white, various shades of lavender, deep purple, and bi-colors such as blue-violet. Attract bees and butterflies.
Aster
Botanical Name: Aster amellus
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 3-8
Blooms: Late Summer and Early Fall
Flower features: Displaying vibrant fall colors in shades of pink, purple, blue, and white; the last great feeding opportunities for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
Morning Glory
Botanical Name: Ipomoea purpurea
Plant type: Annual and Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 3-10
Blooms: Early Summer to the first frost
Flower features: trumpet-shaped flowers of pink, purple-blue, magenta, or white. Big, fragrant, colorful flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Mystic Merlin
Botanical Name: Malva Sylvestris
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-8
Blooms: Early Summer to Early Fall
Flower features: similar satiny flowers in a soft lavender-purple shade. Flowers are attractive to butterflies.
Purple Pansy
Botanical Name: Viola wittrockiana
Plant type: Annual
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 4-8
Blooms: Late spring to Early Summer
Flower features: a wide range of pansy flower colors and bicolors including blue, purple, rose, yellow, red, maroon, white. They are attractive to butterflies.
Pasque
Botanical Name: Pulsatilla
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 5-9
Blooms: Early to mid spring
Flower features: showy, dazzling blue-purple flowers. This flower is an excellent addition to a rock garden. The pasque flower is also a sign that Easter has arrived.
Petunia
Botanical Name: Petunia hybrida
Plant type: Annual
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 9-11
Blooms: Summer and Fall
Flower features: are available in stripes, speckles and borders in an extensive color palette that includes purple, pink, red, white, mauve, lavender, and yellow. The basic petunia flower is funnel shape, but hybridizers have created many variations including singles and doubles.
Rhododendron
Botanical Name: Rhododendron ferrugineum
Plant type: Evergreen
Sun Exposure: Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-9
Blooms: Spring
Flower features: Fragrant flowers in an array of colors – from pure white and light pastels to brilliant orange and gold to purple and red.
Pincushion flower
Botanical Name: Scabiosa
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 3-7
Blooms: Spring, Summer, Fall
Flower features: can be found most often in shades of blue, white and purple. Attract butterflies.
Uses in Gardening: Can be used as edging. Excellent for grouping or massing in border fronts and rock gardens.
Sea Holly
Botanical Name: Eryngium
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 4-11
Blooms: Summer to Fall
Flower features: Has beautiful amethyst blue flowers and a somewhat straggling nature; ideal for attracting butterflies.
Wisteria
Botanical Name: Wisteria sinensis
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 5-8
Blooms: Spring
Flower features: Colors range from white and blue to violet. Beauty and perfume of its showy, deliciously fragrant flowers. Attracts Birds, Butterflies.
Bell Heather
Botanical Name: Erica cinerea
Plant type: Evergreen, Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 6-8
Blooms: Early Summer and Early Fall
Flower features: reddish-purple, bell-shaped blooms.
Hydrangea
Botanical Name: Hydrangea macrophylla
Plant type: Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun/Partial shade
Growing zones: 4-9
Blooms: Fall, Summer
Flower features: They have beautiful mop-head or lacecap flowers. Their flowers can be blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple. Attract pollinators like bees and butterflies to the fertile buds in the center.
Zinnia
Botanical Name: Zinnia elegans
Plant type: Annual and Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 3-10
Blooms: Summer through Fall
Flower features: The ray flowers are purple, the discs yellow and black. Attract Butterflies.
Moonflower
Botanical Name: Datura stramonium
Plant type: Annual
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 8-11
Blooms: Throughout the Summer
Flower features: Their large blooms produce a relaxing smell and can most frequently be found in white or light purple corollas. They attract bees, butterflies and moths.
Carnation
Botanical Name: Dianthus caryophyllus
Plant type: Annual
Sun Exposure: Full sun/ Partial shade
Growing zones: 3-10
Blooms: Summer to all year long
Flower features: They emit a spicy fragrance and generally come in hues of pink, purple and white.
Hellebores
Botanical Name: Hellebores
Plant type: Perennial, Evergreen.
Sun Exposure: Full sun/ Partial Shade
Growing zones: 4-8
Blooms: Winter and early Spring.
Flower features: Ranging in color from white to purple. Attract butterflies.
Sweet pea
Botanical Name: Lathyrus odoratus
Plant type: Annual, Perennial
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Growing zones: 7-10
Blooms: Summer and Early Fall
Flower features: Come in many colors with a fragile fragrance that is commonly used in perfumes.
Have you found out the varieties best suited to your garden design? I hope so. Enjoy purple flowering plants in your garden!