Purple Flowers or Flower Parts

Deep violet trumpets are born freely from late spring or early summer until first frost to year round under warm tropical conditions atop sturdy stems. Mayan™ Purple Ruellia or Mexican Petunia is a relatively new seed and pollen sterile selection that can spend more energy on flowering instead of adding unwanted seedlings to the garden. In many regards it is similar to but outperforms Purple Showers in overall flower power and disease resistance. It is also a tetraploid so the funnel-shaped flowers are slightly larger than your typical Mexican Petunias. The Mexican Petunia is a naturally evergreen, rhizomatous or spreading, tropical perennial that is grown as a die-back perennial in zones 8-9. It can be grown as a low maintenance container specimen plant, in mixed container gardens, as well as in the garden and landscape. It can also be used as a tall groundcover in difficult sites. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Provide Mexican Petunias with a full sun to part sun site in an average moist to wet, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12435

Large rounded clusters in shades of deep pink to near red (alkaline or no Aluminum), dark purple (neutral to acid), to near indigo(very acid) depending on soil acidity and the availability of Aluminum. Merrit's Supreme Bigleaf Hydrangea begins flowering early and the long lasting flower clusters mature into purple, red, and green shades. This is a compact growing Hydrangea with strong sturdy stems originally developed as a florist's Hydrangea but it has proven to be a reliably hardy, small to medium-sized deciduous shrub for the garden and landscape. Merrit's Supreme also makes an easy and low-maintenance container specimen and can be overwintered indoors outside of its hardiness range. The large glossy deep green foliage is disease resistant. Provide a moist, well-drained, fertile soil in an area that receives morning sun and shade during the hottest portion of the day for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12347

From dense spikes of dark colored calyxes emerge purple two-lipped tubular flowers that are produced throughout much of the year on a compact dense and low growing plant with bright green quilted foliage. Mesa Azure Salvia is a hybrid selection from the Mesa series and the nectar rich flowers attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and long tongued bees anytime this tidy plant is in bloom. If flowering slows down a light pruning and fertilizing will send back into production. Mesa Azure Salvia will perform best in a well-drained sunny location and is moderately drought resistant once well-established. Item# 11147

Rich purplish-pink, ruffly edged, nearly 3" wide flowers with a deep red-purple blotch and darker flecking are produced in midspring and are held against a foil of medium to coarse-textured foliage with the flowers attracting bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and curious passersby. Michaele Lux Evergreen Azalea is an unusual and uncommon Aromi hybrid that develops into a small to medium-sized, densely branched shrub. Azaleas do best in average moist, acidic soils that are rich in organic matter but have good to excellent drainage and should be top dressed with an organic mulch such as pine straw and pine bark. We recommend using a slow-release, non-burning fertilizer that is labeled for acidic loving plants. Images courtesy of Maarten Van der Giessen, Van der Giessens Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 12573

Midnight Mexican Bush Sage produces long, rich purple, tubular flowers that emerge from velvety purple calyxes creating long upright to gently arching spikes of flowers in late summer and fall (and spring where protected from freezing). Soft velvety finely textured foliage on a durable and deer proof, reliable, clump forming perennial. Great for hummingbirds and butterflies! Item# 2981.

The 3/8" wide deep inky blue-purple flowers sport a nicely contrasting white eye are produced along the wispy elongating flower spikes from spring to frost. Midnight Moon may be a hybrid or polyploid form of the common Blue Porterweed with slightly larger flowers but a similarly dense upright to rounded habit on a tidy looking plant. This is an excellent choice for bees, butterflies, and other garden beneficials that is well-suited to container culture or utilize it in the garden and landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in an average moist, fertile, average to well-drained soil for optimum vigor and maximum flowering. Item# 12081

Spikes of deep purple calyxes and tubular buds open to display the dark purple colored two-lipped tubular flowers that are produced from spring to fall atop this densely branching compact perennial Salvia with excellent flower power. Mirage™ Deep Purple Salvia, a form of Autumn Sage or Salvia greggii, was selected for its heat and cold tolerance, compact rounded habit, and exceptional flower power. Its vigorous well-branched compact habit is perfectly suited for use as a low maintenance and forgiving container specimen as well as in hot and sunny garden and landscape settings. The dark colored flowers are sure to attract low flying hummingbirds as well as the occassional butterfly and larger bees with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. Images courtesy of Darwin Perennials, all rights reserved. Item# 12547

Spikes of deep purple calyxes and tubular buds open to display the deep violet colored two-lipped tubular flowers that are produced from spring to fall atop this densely branching compact perennial Salvia with excellent flower power. A five-star performer in Salvia trials at the Chicago Botanic Gardens! Mirage™ Violet Salvia, a form of Autumn Sage or Salvia greggii, was selected for its heat and cold tolerance, compact rounded habit, and exceptional flower power. Its vigorous well-branched compact habit is perfectly suited for use as a low maintenance and forgiving container specimen as well as in hot and sunny garden and landscape settings. The dark colored flowers are sure to attract low flying hummingbirds as well as the occassional butterfly and larger bees with its nectar rich flowers. Provide a well-drained soil in full to mostly sunny conditions and never keep soggy wet. Images courtesy of Darwin Perennials, all rights reserved. Item# 12425

In late summer and into fall the low arching stems are tipped by clusters of almost orchid-like white flowers that are heavily spotted with purple. The Miyazaki Hybrid Toad Lilies are a seed strain that was selected for its arching deep green stems adorned in narrow foliage and its exceptional flower power. These were the top rated Toad Lilies in the 10 year long trials at Rotary Botanic Gardens in Wisconsin. These are easy to grow clump forming shade loving perennials that prefer an average moist but well-drained soil. Easy and longlived with few pests or diseases as well as good cut foliage and flowers. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 11638

Large dense fragrant flower spikes to 12" long are composed of many hundreds of small orange-eyed flowers that open lavender and deepen to dark violet and indigo and are held atop a compact mound of blue-green foliage. The honey-mead like scented, nectar rich flowers of MONARCH® Blue Knight Butterfly Bush or Buddleia are adored by a host of pollinators and garden beneficials including butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and more! Provide a full to mostly sunny location in well-drained average moist soils for optimum health and flowering. This Walter's Gardens introduction and is part of the MONARCH® Butterfly Bush series that have been selected for rich colors, excellent flower power, and a midsize habit. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 11694

Spikes of deep royal purple fragrant flowers are held at the ends of sturdy stems against a backdrop of soft gray-green foliage from summer to fall. MONARCH® Dark Dynasty Butterfly Bush is a deciduous to semi-evergreen shrub with a densely branching compact habit that mature to about 3'H x 3-4'W. The fragrant dark flowers attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and other garden beneficals with their nectar rich flowers.This Walter's Gardens introduction is part of the MONARCH® Butterfly Bush series that have been selected for rich colors, excellent flower power, and a midsize habit. Provide a well-drained soil in a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12061

Wow! Possibly THE darkest purple Salvia on the market today! Dark colored spikes of deep royal purple, sometimes with a hint of red, two-lipped tubular flowers are produced from spring to fall on a compact well-branched vigorous plant. Nachtvlinder Salvia is a perennial Salvia with excellent vigor and flower power growing to about 24" high and wide and is adorned with glossy green fragrant foliage. Nachtvlinder translates to "night butterfly" or "moth" and was discovered as a chance seedling in the gardens of Hessenhoff Nursery in the Netherlands and is reported to have withstood temperatures as low as -4^oF. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a well-drained, average moist, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Nachtvlinder Salvia is compact enough for low-maintenance specimens or add it to the garden and landscape for a summer long show. The nectar rich flowers attract hummingbirds, bees, and the occasional butterfly. A Royal Horticulture Society 2015 Award of Garden Merit Winner. Item# 12474

Clusters of purple frilly flowers are produced atop tall sturdy stems providing late summer and fall color as well as nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. New York Ironweed, Vernonia noveboracensis, is a vigorous growing clump forming native perennial preferring moist to wet to average moist, fertile soils where it grows 5-8' high providing a tall safe platform for pollinators. This tough and easy perennial is well suited to moist naturalistic areas like meadows and prairies where it can mix with fall flowering sunflowers and asters. Tolerant of periodic drought once well-established and can be grown in average moist garden soils. Reseeds, deadhead to prevent unwanted seedlings. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 12109

Large rounded clusters of buds mature to rich rosy pink (alkaline soils) or purple to blue (acidic soils) and pistachio green stunning bicolor flowers on compact mounding plants. The Next Generation® Pistachio Bigleaf Hydrangea is a disease resistant repeat flowering selection that begins flowering in mid spring to early summer and continuing until fall on well-established plants. As with other Bigleaf Hydrangeas provide a moist, well-drained soil in an area that receives morning sun and shade during the hottest portion of the day. The ability to flower on new wood versus old wood ensures that even in the hardest winters this new Hydrangea will still flower in the garden and landscape whereas some of the old wood flowering Hydrangeas may freeze to the ground and not flower. Image courtesy of Star® Roses and Plants, all rights reserved. Item# 11718

A summer long parade of large rounded flower clusters start out green and deepen into red shades in neutral to alkaline soils or purple shades in acidic soils (that contain Aluminum, click the "More Details and Growing Info" link or the plant's image to learn more) on densely branching compact plants with glossy foliage. The Next Generation® Red Sensation Bigleaf Hydrangea is a disease resistant repeat flowering selection that begins flowering in mid spring to early summer and continues until fall on well-established plants. As with other Bigleaf Hydrangeas provide a moist, well-drained soil in an area that receives morning sun and shade during the hottest portion of the day. The ability to flower on new wood versus old wood ensures that even in the hardest winters this new Hydrangea will still flower in the garden and landscape whereas some of the old wood flowering Hydrangeas may freeze to the ground and not flower. Image courtesy of Ball Horticulture, all rights reserved. Item# 12150

Who knew you could get such a rich dark purple from Salvia greggii?! Loads of royal purple, 2-lipped tubular flowers are born in from spring to fall on this low mounding, durable perennial. Great for Hummingbirds and Butterflies! Drought tolerant, deer resistant, and low maintenance. Create a mass of purple flowers in the garden or use it in containers, either way expect to be wowed by Nuevo Leon Autumn Sage! Item#10273.

Masses of 1" wide yellow-eyed bluish purple daisies absolutely cover this plant for weeks in late summer and fall. October Skies Aromatic Aster, a selection of Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, is a low mounding perennial that develops into a compact shrub-like plant by flowering time. Excellent fall color for the garden as well as drought tolerance and pest and disease resistance make this an excellent addition to the perennial or wildflower border and landscape. Prefers good to excellent drainage and a full to mostly sunny site. Item# 9913

Large, long-lasting clusters of, 2"+ wide flowers open a dark purple, and like the Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow they quickly fade to lavender, and finally to nearly white. The flowers are born in profusion during the warmer months of the year. This moderately vigorous vine received rave reviews during 2012 trials at The Trial Gardens at UGA as per Allen Armitage and Meg Green. Item# 10304.

3-5" green-yellow fruit with banana custard-like flavor, some say they are best after being frozen. Produces fragrant purple flowers in spring. A small native, normally understory tree, and is the caterpillar host plant of the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly. Seedling grown. Plant two different varieties or seedlings for pollination. Item# 786.

Light lavender to white 1" blooms are borne at the base of the deep green rounded leaves. The Peacock Ginger is very low growing and compact ginger blooming continuously through summer. It can be grown in a shady garden where hardy or it makes an easy, low maintenance container plant for shaded porches and patios. The foliage of the Peacock Ginger goes dormant at the first sign of cool weather and during winter and re-emerges in spring once the ground temperatures have warmed. Multiplies readily once established. Item# 546

The fleshy deep green to reddish green 1/2" diameter, 4-5 angled, branched stems are adorned with small spikey thorns that produces 3-5" wide pale yellow to near white starry flowers that are overlaid with intricate burgundy and dark burgundy variegation reminiscent of a Persian carpet. It can flower any time of year and multiple times per year once fully mature and under good conditions. Like Stapeliads, this plant is pollinated by flies and has a rotten carrion like odor to attract them but you may have to put your nose in the flower to notice it as it does not seem to permeate the air. The Persian Carpet Flower, Edithcolea grandis newly reclassified as Ceropegia sordida, is an evergreen herbaceous succulent from tropical Africa that can build to 4-8"H x 12"W and is typically found growing in partially shaded to occassionally full sun conditions in dry desert-like regions. Its main requirements are soils with excellent drainage and warm temperatures, preferably not below about 60^oF. The Persian Carpet Flower should make an easy summer porch or patio plant or even as a hanging basket where it receives at least some direct sunlight during the day to promote flowering. It can tolerate slightly more moisture when in active growth but should still be allowed to become moderately dry between waterings. Reduce watering in winter, especially if grown under cool conditions. These are well-established young plants that are already branching. Item# 12457