Purple Perennials

Purple perennials rank right up there with blue for me.  Purple is one of my favorite colors and so are purple perennials.

There are quite a few purple perennials, too, so if you’re looking for some for your garden you shouldn’t have a very difficult time finding some.  Two of the earliest purple perennials to bloom are pasque flowers and crocus, which grows from bulbs planted in the fall.

 

Pasque Flower

Blooming a little later is Salvia x superba or hybrid blue salvia. It is one of the first basic purple perennials I’d probably invest in because it is hardy, behaves well in the garden and blooms for a long time. It blooms heavily in late spring and will rebloom if you sheer it after the first bloom.

Salvia xsuperba

Blooming at the same time are columbine, and clematis, which is a perennial vine. Both can be found in many shades of purple. You could also have creeping phlox in several shades of purple, pink and magenta.

columbine

creeping phlox

Purple perennials really pop if you add a dash of bright yellow or white near them.  White spirea bushes (bridal wreath) and yellow flag iris are blooming in the late spring to complement your spring purple perennials.

iris

Blooming a little later is cranesbill, a large mounding perennial that comes in a large variety of shades from blue, to magenta, to purple.

Yarrow and lady’s mantle will be blooming now too and will give a nice yellow and pale green contrast to your purple perennials.

Catmint is a purple perennial that is easy to grow and very reliable.  It does spread easily though so you have to be tough with it to keep it from overstepping its boundaries.

Garden Phlox comes in many variations of blue, lavender, purple and pink and generally blooms all throughout July.

garden phlox

Some purple perennials can be used not for their flowers, but for their purple leaves.  Beefsteak plant, coral bell, and purple sage all have purple leaves and complement and contrast beautifully with other plants.

By now the delphiniums should be blooming and they are by far my favorite purple perennials. Unfortunately, delphinium is not as easy to grow as some other perennials and they will need staking, as harsh weather can be tough on the flower stalks. 

Delphinium

Later in the summer bellflowers of all kinds come in purple.  My husband’s favorite is a globe bellflower (Joan Elliot), but it’s another spreader and although I like it, I have to weed some it out constantly or it would take over the whole garden.

Campanula, veronica, scabiosa, and lavender should all be blooming by now and paired with sun drops, makes a beautiful vignette.

Balloon Flower and False Sunflower

Skullcap, another member of the mint family, provides a rich carpet of purple flowers in midsummer, but like most other mints it’s an aggressive grower. 

Thyme is an herb, but also considered a purple perennial.  It is low growing and covered with purple flowers, when in bloom.  Common chives also have purple or lavender flowers when they’re blooming.

Butterfly bush comes in purple.  It will bloom in midsummer, and as the summer progresses look for garden phlox, monkshood, globe thistle, meadow sage and Russian sage, which are all purple perennials.

Butterfly bush blossoms

Finally, at the end of the season, sedums will bloom.  There are varieties with purple flowers and others that have pink blossoms but purple leaves.  Sedums are another perennial that behaves well in the garden and will stay where it is planted. 

Probably the last purple perennials to bloom are the asters and perhaps the chrysanthemums. 

Asters

So there you have it.  From spring to fall there is a large array of purple perennials, and they are easy to find and will certainly look great in your garden.  Start researching a few now to add to your perennial garden this year and thanks for reading Julie's Garden Journal.