The Color Purple

Forest Pansy Redbud

Plants with purple foliage

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”

― Alice Walker, The Color Purple

The color purple definitely demands attention.  In the landscape, a purple plant can act as a focal point, a backdrop or used for contrast. Unlike plants with purple flowers, plants with purple leaves give you color all season long and breaks up the monotony of all the green foliage. Here are some examples of plants with purple foliage that will make you stop dead in your tracks.

TREES

• Royal Raindrops Crabapple, Malus ‘JFS-KW5’
• Purple Fountain European Beech, Fagus sylvatica ‘Purple Fountain’
• Cananda Red Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana
• Forest Pansy Redbud, Cercis Canadensis ‘Forest Pansy’
• Crimson Queen Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’

Crimson Queen Maple

SHRUBS

• Diablo Ninebark, Physocarpus opulifolius ‘Monlo’
• Concorde Japanese Barberry, Berberis thun. var. atropurpurea ‘Concorde’
• Royal Purple Smokebush, Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’
• Wine & Roses Weigela, Weigela florida ‘Alexandra’

Royal Purple Smokebush

PERENNIALS

• Black Negligee Snakeroot, Cimicifuga ‘Black Negligee’
• Chocolate Joe-Pye Weed, Eupatorium rugosum ‘Chocolate’
• Obsidian Coralbells, Heuchera ‘Obsidian’
• Huskers Red Penstemon, Penstemon digitalis ‘Huskers Red’
• Purple Emperor Sedum, Sedum ‘Purple Emperor’

Black Negligee Snakeroot

Advertisement