Purple in the Garden: Design Ideas & Plant Combinations

Round Out Your Garden with Purple

Purple spans deep velvety hues to pale periwinkle. Red-dominated purples add drama and bridge dissonant matches (red + orange). Blue-violets anchor and blend brighter colors. Yellow, purple's ideal partner, lightens and brightens—purple and yellow announce spring in bulbs and pansies. Yellow solidifies purple; purple subdues yellow. This contrast is crucial in shade gardens where purple melts without yellow. White also stabilizes purple in shade. Chartreuse and other yellow-tinted colors flatter purple. Purple + orange = sultry, sophisticated sparks.

Related Slide Show: Best Purple Flowers for Your Garden

How to Incorporate Purple

Purple rounds out effective trios: with chartreuse and pink for depth; with blues and greens for substance; anchoring red and gold for subtle mystery. Purple adds weight in borders—use as a shading tool to separate and define other colors.

Purple-leaf plants are a huge trend: trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, perennials, annuals, groundcovers. Incorporate purple foliage into borders and backgrounds for powerful drama.

Tips for Using Purple

• Purple foliage adds compelling dimension. Consider purple varieties of ajuga, bergenia, smokebush, barberry, coral bells, snakeroot, geranium, New Zealand flax.
• Purple gets lost in shade—pair with light companions (chartreuse/golden foliage).
• Smoky purples look regal in fall, especially underplanting Japanese maples and red/gold trees.
• Seek higher-power purples in vines: wisteria, clematis, sweet potato vine, dark-leaf grapes (Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea').