Purple plants – these are not your typical green plants, these plant have a shade of purple in their leaves and flowers. If you want to add color to your garden, consider these purple plants to add some variety to your scenery:

List of Purple plants

Acalypha wilkesiana

Also known as Flamengueira, this perennial evergreen or annual plant has purple or red leaves with dark spots and serrated edges. It has white needle like flowers that grow on a stalk and is usually used as an ornamental indoor plant. To grow Acalypha wilkesiana you will need a moist well-drained soil and full sun to half shade. Expect its blooms to show in the summer.

Aeonium arboreum

Aeonium arboreum is a perennial evergreen succulent that can grow in Mediterranean, desert, tropics or subtropic climate. It has obovate to spoon shape leaves in green, purple or red-brown that grows in a rosette structure. Aeonium arboreum’s flower is yellow and grows in inflorescence at the end of the stems in an open cluster which makes a good contrast to its dark leaves. This plant can survive frost but it would be better if you will avoid it or consider planting this indoors.

Ajuga burgundy glow

Used as a ground cover, Ajuga burgundy glow is an herbaceous perennial evergreen to deciduous that grows in temperate climate. The leaves of this plant can be purple, pink, white or green in oval shape with bumps. Its small flowers are also purple-blue in color and grow in inflorescence shape on a stalk. The best time to plant Ajuga burgundy glow is in autumn or spring when the sun is not too hot as this plant is not tolerant to high temperatures.

Codiaeum variegatum

Known as Garden croton, Codiaeum variegatum is a perennial evergreen used as an ornamental plant and grows in tropical climate. Its leaves can be red, yellow, purple or white in dotted, stripes or splash patterns. It has small flowers growing on a stalk in inflorescence and may be yellow for female and white in male. This is a medium growing plant and is relatively easy to grow in areas with more than 10 degrees in temperature.


This perennial evergreen shrub can become an annual plant in cold weather. Commonly used as an ornamental plant, Coleus has oval serrated leaves in green, yellow, pink, purple, or red which are often mottled or stained. Its foliage can be homogeny or a diverse of several colors on the same leaf. It also sports a small blue flower that grows on a stalk in inflorescence. A well drained light soil is the main requirement to grow a Coleus plant and it can reach a size of 20-80 cm.

Crimson king maple

Crimson king maple is a perennial deciduous tree used as an ornament and shade. It has lobed maple-shaped leaves in purple-red green color. It also blooms with small brownish yellow flowers growing in clusters. It is not possible to grow a Crimson king maple tree indoors as it need full sun to thrive and usually grows up to 7 to 14 meters in height. So plant this spring bloomer on a well-drained soil away from other plants as it has a tendency to become invasive.

Curly kale

This leaf plant can grow in temperate, subtropical, or Mediterranean climate and has small yellow flowers that grow in inflorescence. Curly kale leaves can be bright green to dark purple or a combination and appears to be curly or wavy with serrated edges. Its stems can sometimes be purple too. Growing a curly kale plant requires a rich ventilated soil that has been well fertilized and cool temperature in order to survive. In warm seasons, the leaves can taste bitter.

Dark opal basil

Dark opal basil is a shrub type of basil that is used as an ornamental fragrant plant. Its leaves are mostly purple but may sometimes be green purple with purple stems. Its flowers are also purple and grow in inflorescence. Known as a sensitive plant, Dark opal basil requires a temperature that is not too hot and moist soil to grow but once it is fully grown, you may harvest its leaves all season to add into your dish as a spice.


Graptoveria is a succulent perennial evergreen used as an ornamental plant. It is drought tolerant and can survive frost. It has wedge shaped leaves with sharp pointed top in different colors such as green, blue, purple, red, pink or orange. Its flowers are consist of five petals and can be pink, purple, peach white, yellow, orange or more than one color growing on stems in inflorescence. Graptoveria is best planted in spring or summer.


A carnivore plant that is also known as “monkey cups”, Nepenthes is commonly used as an ornamental plant grown in the tropics. Its leaves are oval with a cup-like structure at the end which can either be green, red, orange, purple, white or yellow. Nepenthes flowers, on the other hand, are green in color and grow on a stem in inflorescence. It requires high humidity and moisture to grow as well as an average amount of rain water to thrive.

Persian shield plant

A perennial evergreen shrub, Persian shield is characterized by its distinctive elliptic leaves in purple with green or blue stripes and trumpet-like purple flowers. This plant grows well in humid areas and in rich soil but attracts moths. Persian shield is best planted in spring and can also do well as an indoor plant. It can grow in tropics, Mediterranean, subtropics or temperate climate.

Polka dot plant

Polka dot plant is an herbaceous sub shrub known for its colorful leaves in red, pink, green, brown, white or purple with spots on its surface that can either be a different color or shade close to the color of the leaf. This spots organized to form spots or dotted pattern, hence the name polka dot plant. It also has small purple flowers that grow on stems. It needs a well-drained soil and humid environment of not more than 15 degrees Celsius in order to thrive. Polka dot plant will also do well indoors.

Purple passion plant

Famous of its velvet like purple green leaves, the purple passion plant is a shrub vine that is used as an ornamental houseplant. It also has an orange-yellow flower with multiple stamens that are needle-like. A slightly acid and moist soil is the suitable planting spot for this plant, and can be planted all year round. Take into consideration though that this plant is weak and sensitive and may require trellising to support its growing vine.

Smoke bush

Smoke bush can either be a shrub or a small tree used as an ornamental hedge plant. It has oval leaves in yellow or purple that becomes green if exposed to less sunlight. Its flowers are small and grow in clusters creating a hair like effect. Its color depends mainly on the color of the plant’s leaves – purple leaves with purple blooms, yellow leaves with light colored flowers and if the leaves are green it can be both.  Smoke bush grow well in cold climate and well drained soil.

Wandering jew plant

A perennial evergreen herbaceous plant, wandering jew plant can grow in Mediterranean, desert, subtropics, temperate or tropics climate. Its elliptic leaves in green, red or purple with pointed edge. The wandering jew flower has three petals in variety of purple, pink or white. This plant is invasive that is why you should give it a wide space to grow.