Purple Flowers or Flower Parts

In mid to late summer large clusters of frilly deep purple flowers sit atop short sturdy stems that are covered in fine dark green narrow foliage giving this tough as nails perennial as soft pleasing texture even when not in flower. Iron Butterfly Ironweed is as tough as its name implies, even though this is a selection of a rare species, it can tolerate short periods of drought or periodic inundation with ease. A nice tightly clump forming perennial from the works of Dr. Allen Armitage and the UGA horticulture program. The flowers provide much needed late summer fodder for bees, butterflies, and other garden beneficials. Item# 10929.

#3 in Mt. Cuba Center Baptisia trials and the #1 white cultivar! In midspring, loads of dark smokey purple 12-20" high flower spikes adorned with starkly contrasting bright white pea-like, nectar rich flowers are held well above the neat mounds of foliage. Ivory Towers Baptisia or False Indigo, a hybrid of our native species developed by Tony Avent of Plant Delights Nursery, is an easy and low maintenance, deer resistant, large, long-lived clump forming, herbaceous, taprooted perennial maturing to about 4-5'H and equally wide and it maintains its architecturally pleasing vase shaped form throughout the growing season. As the palnts mature they produce more and more flowering spikes with each passing year with some plants producing over a 100 spikes on mature plants. Considered a must for the cutflower garden as the spikes have an excellent vase life. Provide Baptisias with a full to mostly sunny site in a soil with average or better drainage and moderate fertility. Image credit: Tony Avent, Plant Delights, all rights reserved. Item# 13318

The top performer in both attracting pollinators and disease resistance in the Mt. Cuba Center's trials! Huge conical clusters of smaller than typical fragrant lavender-pink flowers are produced over an extended period beginning in midsummer and lasting into fall attracting a host of pollinators including butterflies, hummingbirds, and larger bees. Jeana Garden Phlox is an exceptionally vigorous and free flowering selection of our native Phlox paniculata whose stems can touch on 5' by the end of the growing season. This is a hardy, clump forming, deciduous perennial preferring a full to mostly sunny site in an acidic, average moist, fertile soil with average or better drainage. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13194

Loads of bluish-purple trumpet-shaped flowers are tucked among and atop the narrow dark green foliage from spring to frost all on a low and compact plant. Flowers of the Mexican Petunia attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Katie Blue Dwarf Ruellia, a selection of R. tweediana or sometimes R. simplex, is a dwarf, root hardy, clump-forming, naturally evergreen tropical that is adorned in narrow deep green, sometimes tinged with purple or bronze tones, weeping foliage creating small individual mounds on their own similar to Liriope. Use this heat and sunloving, shade-tolerant perennial as a border, groundcover, as well as a filler in container gardens. In zones 8-9, Ruellia act like die-back perennials that freeze back and then return from their crown in spring once the weather and soil temperatures begin to properly warm. An insulative but breathable organic mulch will help to ensure their return in areas that experience freezing temperatures. Easy and reliable! Item# 10857

#5 overall in 2020 Echinacea trials at Mt. Cuba Center! Intense raspberry red rays surround the dark orange rounded cones of disk flowers on the 3-5" wide flowers atop sturdy 18-24" high stems beginning in late spring and continuing into early fall. KISMET® Raspberry Coneflower is a hybrid Coneflower selected for its exceptionally long flowering season, brilliant color, extra large flowers, as well as its perennial reliability as a garden plant. Coneflowers are clump forming perennials whose often fragrant flowers are adored by butterflies, bees, and other pollinators that can be enjoyed as part of the sunny garden garden and landscape as well as for container specimens. Leave seedheads for fall and winter songbirds to enjoy. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Photos courtesy of TERRA NOVA® Nurseries, Inc. www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12785

Beautifully cut medium green deeply cut lacy foliage that is reminiscent of the delicately cut foliage of some Japanese Maples adorns this vigorous 'Chaste Tree'. 6-8" spikes of lavender-pink flowers that attract butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees are borne in summer. The Lace-Leaf Vitex is considered by many to be the most hardy of the Chaste Trees.  Item# 787.

Spring and summer offer up a mound of dark purplish-black foliage that covers up in late summer and fall with contrasting white daisies with a purplish-red eye. The flowers of Lady in Black Calico or Woodland Aster attract a myriad of pollinators like bees, smaller butterflies, and other garden beneficials at a time when many are stock piling for winter. This is an easy and reliable clump forming native perennial selected for its deep dark foliage. Lady in Black Woodland Aster is tolerant of light shade but will have the darkest foliage where it receives the most direct sunlight. May reseed on exposed soils. Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady.. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 12114

An exceptionally free flowering passionvine, Lady Lavender produces 3-4" wide, lightly fragrant flowers with purple sepals and petals that fade to near white near their base. The flowers are topped by a corona of blue filaments that fade to white and then darken to deep burgundy at their base. Lady Lavender Passionflower is a sterile Patrick Worley cultivar considered to be hardy to near 10oF. It is large and vigorous enough to cover a medium to large trellis easily in one season or it can be enjoyed as a container plant where not hardy. Provide a full to mostly sunny location and a moderately fertile soil with average drainage for the best flowering. Click on "More Details and Growing Info" or the image to learn more about growing Passionvines as perennials in containers or in the garden and landscape. Caterpillar host: Gulf Fritillary, Julia Butterfly, Variegated Fritillary, and Zebra Longwing. Item# 11444

Nectar-rich, light purple flowers are produced continuously from spring to fall on tall spikes that butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds cannot seem to resist! Lavender Porterweed is a medium to large growing exceptionally full and vigorous Porterweed was once considered to be a purple form of the highly popular Coral Porterweed although we have learned that this is a sterile or nearly sterile hybrid cultivar. Porterweeds are excellent nectar producers outperforming nearly all other butterfly plants in the garden. Item# 483

Loose hyacinth-like spikes of dainty green flowers with recurving petals and contrasting dark purple filaments and yellow stamens are held above the spotted succulent lax green foliage in spring after a dry winter dormancy. This is an easy to grow dwarf scilla or squill, tentatively Ledebouria socialis 'Laxifolia' as there are many similar horticultural forms within this species, is a dwarf growing, evergreen herbaceous tropical succulent that grows from a thickened above ground bulb and readily multiplies happily filling its container. This should make an easy windowsill, porch, or patio plant where it receives bright indirect sunlight or a small amount of cool early morning or filtered sunlight. Provide this easy to grow plant with a well-drained, cactus-like soil and allow the soil to become moderately dry between waterings. If it gets too dry it will wilt to let you know but it readily recovers once moisture is applied. During active growth, average moisture is preferred and it can be allowed to remain a good deal dryer when dormant. We ship 1-3 or more bulbs actively growing in a 2.25" pot. Item# 12451

Loose hyacinth-like spikes of dainty green flowers with recurving petals and contrasting dark purple filaments and yellow stamens are held above the spotted succulent lax green foliage in spring after a dry winter dormancy. This is an easy to grow dwarf scilla or squill, tentatively Ledebouria socialis 'Laxifolia' as there are many similar horticultural forms within this species, is a dwarf growing, evergreen herbaceous tropical succulent that grows from a thickened above ground bulb and readily multiplies happily filling its container. This should make an easy windowsill, porch, or patio plant where it receives bright indirect sunlight or a small amount of cool early morning or filtered sunlight. Provide this easy to grow plant with a well-drained, cactus-like soil and allow the soil to become moderately dry between waterings. If it gets too dry it will wilt to let you know but it readily recovers once moisture is applied. During active growth, average moisture is preferred and it can be allowed to remain a good deal dryer when dormant. We ship 3 or more bulbs actively growing in a 4.5" pot. Item# 12452

From near white to lavender to rich purple long-lasting bracts subtend the whorls of tubular white, lavender, to purple nectar rich flowers beginning as early as late spring and continuing well into summer and into fall under good conditions. The stems are adorned with lemony to bergamot scented narrow foliage. Lemon Beebalm is a moderately drought resistant native annual species found throughout much of the central and eastern US. It readily reseeds on exposed soils and makes a good addition to naturalized areas like meadows, prairies, and roadside plantings. The tubular flowers attract a variety of bees, butterflies, as well as hummingbirds. Plants typically die after flowering and seed development is complete. Deer, rabbit, and pest resistant. Item# 11730

The large, dense, rounded mophead flower clusters are composed of sterile florets that range from violet-purple to a deep saturated pink, depending on soil acidity and the availability of aluminum, aging to mauve and are produced from late spring or early summer into fall. Let's Dance® ¡Arriba!® Bigleaf Hydrangea is a vigorous yet compact growing 2-3'H x 2-3'W plant with medium green foliage, excellent flower power producing flowers on both old and new growth, and reliable zone 5 cold hardiness. The Let's Dance® Hydrangea series was developed in Michigan's harsh winters by breeder Tim Woods for reliable cold hardiness, excellent flower power, rich colors, with strong sturdy stems and a compact habit. As with other Bigleaf Hydrangeas, provide this Proven Winners® Color Choice® selection with a moist, well-drained, fertile soil in an area that receives morning sun with shade or filtered shade during the hottest portion of the day in areas with hot summer climates. In cooler climates Bigleaf Hydrangeas can tolerate full to mostly sunny sites. Some direct sunlight, preferably >4 hours per day, is needed for good bud and flower production. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12914

The large rounded mophead flower clusters are composed of sterile florets that range from deep sky blue, purple, to a bright pink, depending on soil acidity and the availability of aluminum, are produced from late spring or early summer into fall. Let's Dance® Blue Jangles® Bigleaf Hydrangea is a compact growing 2'H x 3'W plant with dark green foliage, strong sturdy stems, excellent flower power producing flowers on both old and new growth, and reliable zone 5 cold hardiness. The Let's Dance® Hydrangea series was developed in Michigan's harsh winters by breeder Tim Woods for reliable cold hardiness, excellent flower power, rich colors, with strong sturdy stems and a compact habit. As with other Bigleaf Hydrangeas, provide this Proven Winners® Color Choice® selection with a moist, well-drained, fertile soil in an area that receives morning sun with shade or filtered shade during the hottest portion of the day in areas with hot summer climates. In cooler climates Bigleaf Hydrangeas can tolerate full to mostly sunny sites. Some direct sunlight, preferably >4 hours per day, is needed for good bud and flower production. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12912

Produces buds up and down the length of the stems! The lacecap-like, rounded flower clusters produce large sterile florets around the outer rows of the flower cluster nearly hiding the fertile central flowers at times. The florets are in shades of light pink to lavender depending on the soil's acidity and availibility of aluminum. Let's Dance® Can Do® Hydrangea, a Hydrangea macrophylla x H. serrata hybrid, is unique for its ability to flower along the entire length of the stems which ensures flowering even if the plants are frozen to the ground and making them reliable bloomers even in zone 4. This is a medium sized deciduous shrub growing to about 3-4' high and wide. The Let's Dance® Hydrangea series was developed in Michigan's harsh winters by breeder Tim Woods for reliable cold hardiness, excellent flower power, rich colors, with strong sturdy stems and a compact habit. As with other Bigleaf Hydrangeas, provide this Proven Winners® Color Choice® selection with a moist, well-drained, fertile soil in an area that receives morning sun with shade or filtered shade during the hottest portion of the day in areas with hot summer climates. In cooler climates Bigleaf Hydrangeas can tolerate full to mostly sunny sites. Some direct sunlight, preferably >4 hours per day, is needed for good bud and flower production. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12915

The large rounded mophead flower clusters are composed of sterile florets that range from deep blue-violet, purple, to a deep saturated pink, depending on soil acidity and the availability of aluminum, are produced from late spring or early summer into fall. Let's Dance® Rave® Bigleaf Hydrangea is a compact growing 2-3'H x 3-4'W plant with dark green disease resistant foliage, strong sturdy stems, excellent flower power producing flowers on both old and new growth, and reliable zone 5 cold hardiness. The Let's Dance® Hydrangea series was developed in Michigan's harsh winters by breeder Tim Woods for reliable cold hardiness, excellent flower power, rich colors, with strong sturdy stems and a compact habit. As with other Bigleaf Hydrangeas, provide this Proven Winners® Color Choice® selection with a moist, well-drained, fertile soil in an area that receives morning sun with shade or filtered shade during the hottest portion of the day in areas with hot summer climates. In cooler climates Bigleaf Hydrangeas can tolerate full to mostly sunny sites. Some direct sunlight, preferably >4 hours per day, is needed for good bud and flower production. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12913

A rare and unusual succulent, the Lifesaver Cactus produces burgundy and tan star-shaped flowers that look as though a grape lifesaver has been stuck perfectly in their center. This is a low growing to trailing succulent with softly toothed 4-angled thick succulent stems that root into the soil anywhere they are in contact with it making it an easy plant to share. The Lifesaver Cactus makes for an easy and forgiving container plant for a porch, patio, or window and prefers a well-draining cactus-like soil. Grow it in an area that receives high indirect sunlight as it normally grows in the shade of larger desert plants in its native Africa. Allow the soil to become moderately dry between waterings and never keep the soil soggy wet. Item# 489

In mid to late summer large rounded flower clusters composed of hundreds of pinkish-purple to near rose-pink flowers are perched atop tall, dark purple, sturdy, upright stems with whorled, medium green, rugose foliage. Little Joe Coastal Joe Pye Weed, a selection of Eupatorium dubium but now classified Eutrochium dubium, is a clump forming, deciduous, herbaceous, native perennial growing to 4-5' high that is typically found growing near consistently moist areas along the East Coast but it does fine under average garden conditions as well. The flowers of Little Joe's nectar rich flowers attract butterflies and a variety of smaller pollinators including honeybees. Provide a full sun to partly shaded site in a moist to wet to average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor, the sturdiest stems, and maximum flower production. One of only 4 cultivars to receive 5 out of 5 stars in trials at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13183

Little Volcano Lespedeza adds loads of color to the fall garden in shades of purple, pink, and near red. The arching branches of Little Volcano Japanese Lespedeza are covered by large clusters of dainty pea-shaped flowers over an extended period in September and October with spring flowering on plants that are not frozen back hard. A durable pest and disease resistant shrub-like perennial that may freeze to the ground in the northern portions of its range, where winters are milder it will act as a deciduous shrub. A popular plant for native bees and honeybees. Caterpillar host: Silver Spotted Skipper. Item# 10672.

When most plants are fading this delicate looking plant is blooming. You will not be disappointed with this garden gem!!, says one savvy gardener !!

Dense clusters of fragrant dark azure to blue-violet flowers nearly cover up the nicely contrasting blue-gray foliage of this shrubby perennial beginning in mid to late summer and continuing into fall. The flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Longwood Blue Bluebeard is a vigorous freely flowering selection of Caryopteris growing to 4' high and 3-4' wide and selected by Longwood Gardens of Pennsylvania. Caryopteris prefers a well-drained soil in a full to mostly sunny position. Somewhat drought resistant once well-established. A Missouri Botanic Gardens Plant of Merit award winner. Item# 11671