Purple Flowers or Flower Parts

Considered by many to be the best of the Mountain Mints, Clustered Mountain Mint produces an abundance of tiny whitish tubular blooms touched with purple or lavender in tight clusters held above the attractive bluish white bracts. The bracts are probably more showy than the flowers but the flowers attract loads of pollinators including bees and small butterflies. The foliage is wonderfully fragrant and can be used in teas and cooking. This is a durable and slowly spreading native perennial that flowers throughout the summer months. Item# 10029.

The large, glossy, dark green, tropical foliage of the Congo Fig, Dorstenia bahiensis, creates a beautiful rosette of foliage on a 2-4" high stem that will rarely exceed 12" high and about 18" wide making it the perfect little container plant. Unusual flattened maroonish 'flowers', technically hypanthodia, are produced basically year-round and are held on sturdy stalks and peak above the foliage of this easy and unusual indoor plant. The flower structures forcefully eject the ripened seeds a few feet from the mother plant. The cream to tan colored seeds require no pollination and are clones of the parent plant and so often come up in the pots of neighboring plants. The Congo Fig is quite tolerant of low to high indirect light and is forgiving when it comes to moisture levels but the plants seem to be happiest in a well-draining, average moist, fertile soil. Item# 10055

The true demand  is for the VIGNA  Caracalla, a favorite of Thomas Jefferson's, the Corskscrew Vine, Snail Vine, or Caracalla Bean produces large clusters of fragrant white and lavender coiling buds and flowers that fade to a creamy yellow just before dropping. The Corkscrew Vine is a vigorous climber that grows from a tuberous, somewhat potato-like, root that it can return from in mild winter climates. The intricate late summer and fall blooming flowers attract a variety of pollinators, particularly larger bees. Item# 373.

There exists a "Corkscrew vine, a.k.a. Snail vine" that looks very similar to the V. caracallas vine, but has no fragrance, and can become a pest.  It is more hardy  of the two.   We do not grow it.  

A very unique Tropical Hibiscus, Corona del Rey Hibiscus produces an abundance of 4-5" purple flowers that are edged in rosy-pink.The unusually colored flowers are subtended by mediumsized, dark green, tropical foliage that is typically, but not always, deeply serrated. A semi dwarf plant with a bushy and generally spreading to upright habit. Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Item# 9332.

Tall dense spikes of light blue-purple tubular flowers are held above the licorice-scented deep green foliage that is neatly edged in bright white. The nectar rich flowers are produced throughout the growing season and attract a seemingly endless procession of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Crazy Fortune Anise Hyssop, a selection of the award winning Blue Fortune, is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial with an upright bushy habit maturing to about 2-3'H and half as wide. The variegated foliage will be most noticeable where plants are upclose and personal making this an easy choice for containers on a sunny deck or patio or near the front of the garden or landscape. Provide a well-drained, fertile, average moist soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Concept Plants BV®, all rights reserved. Item# 13161

Jack in the Bush or Crucita is truly one of the very best butterfly plants! The nectar rich, light blue to purple, flat topped flower clusters make perfect landing platforms for pollinators of all shapes and sizes. Crucita can be found in flower as early as mid summer to late fall. Caterpillar host: Rounded Metalmark. Item# 10670.

A CSU Trial Gardens 2020 Top Performer! The dark burgundy to near black, glossy foliage is to die for but wait it gets better as in late spring or early summer, tall sturdy spikes ascend above the dark foliage and are composed of lavender to purple, 1" long, nectar rich, tubular flowers that eventually develop into decorative dark purple round seed pods. DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon, a flower child of Penstemon digitalis, is more compact than and has darker foliage than Dark Towers and Mystica Penstemons and it has more purple colored flowers and improved reliability easily surviving for 3 years in CSU's trials. Provide this easy to grow perennial, a nativar (a cultivar from native species), with a moist to average moist, well-drained, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor, flowering, and for the deepest foliage colors. Pair DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon with chartreuse foliaged plants for a wonderful contrast. The flowers attract a variety of polliinators including hummingbirds, bees, and occasional larger butterflies. Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12856

Dense whorls of nectar rich, purple to dark blue-purple, tubular flowers seemingly cover up the upper most portions of the plant for weeks beginning in mid to late summer and continuing into fall. Dark Knight Bluebeard, a.k.a. Black Knight, is a vigorous and easy sunloving free-flowering clump forming shrub-like perennial that quickly develops into a dense mound of fragrant and deer resistant gray-green foliage. In zones 5-6 it tends to act more like a clump forming die-back perennial and becomes more shrub-like where winters are milder although it benefits from hard late winter or early spring pruning since it flowers on new growth. Somewhat drought resistant once well-established and prefers a sunny site in a well-drained soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 12117

The tall flower spikes are adorned with deep blue to blue-purple, pea-like flowers that are produced in summer and are held above the dense mounds of lush green foliage. The flowers attract a variety of bee species. DECADENCE® Periwinkle Popsicle Baptisia or False Indigo, a hybrid cultivar of our native species (a.k.a. nativar), has excellent vigor and a neat vase-shaped habit topping out at about 4 to 4-1/2 feet high and 3 to 3-1/2 feet wide. This large growing cultivar begins flowering after most cultivars have finished for the season. These are easy and low-maintenance, deer resistant, long-lived, taprooted perennials that 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. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13144

The large deep purplish-blue star-shaped flowers open from balloon shaped buds look as though one flower was neatly tucked inside the other. The Double Blue Balloon flower is a clump forming taprooted perennial that produces more and more flowering stems as the plant ages. They begin to flower in about mid summer and continue nearly until fall. Double Blue is a larger growing variety that can reach about 30" high and also produces purple and yellow fall color. It was also one of the top-rated cultivars from the Chicago Botanic Garden's trials receiving 4 out of 4 stars. An easy, low maintenance, and conversation starting perennial for the garden and landscape. Item# 11629

Tall spikes adorned with whorls of 3/8" purple flowers edged in light lavender are produced throughout the growing season and the nectar rich flowers attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and even hummingbird moths. From the breeding work of the Durham twins of east Texas, Darrell and Jerrell, comes this unusual picoteed color form of Porterweed. These are vigorous well-branched herbaceous to shrub-like tropical perennials that revel in the heat and sun of summer providing a continuous display of flowers and pollinators until the first frost. The flower power of Porterweeds makes them worthy of being grown as annuals where not hardy or they can be overwintered as container plants in a warm sunny location indoors. Provide a full to mostly sunny location with average or better drainage and moderate fertility for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 11967

Tall spikes adorned with whorls of 3/8" purple flowers edged in white to light lavender are produced throughout the growing season and the nectar rich flowers attract butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and even hummingbird moths. From the breeding work of the Durham twins of east Texas, Darrell and Jerrell, comes this unusual picoteed color form of Porterweed. These are vigorous well-branched herbaceous to shrub-like tropical perennials that revel in the heat and sun of summer providing a continuous display of flowers and pollinators until the first frost. The flower power of Porterweeds makes them worthy of being grown as annuals where not hardy or they can be overwintered as container plants in a warm sunny location indoors. Provide a full to mostly sunny location with average or better drainage and moderate fertility for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 11931

The dwarf form of it's much larger cousin and native to the sandy and sandy loam soils of much of the southeast US. The Dwarf Pawpaw produces 3-5" green-yellow elongated fruit that eventually turn brown to nearly black when ripe. It is reported to have a banana custard-like flavor, some say that fully ripe fruit of the Dwarf Pawpaw is equal to the Pawpaw, while others firmly disagree. Produces small maroon to greenish flowers flowers in spring. A small to medium-sized, spreading to upright, moderately slow growing, native deciduous shrub. A caterpillar host plant of the Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly. Seedling grown. Plant two for pollination. Item# 10232.

Purple falls with prominent darker red-purple veining and a contrasting gold signal topped by the light lavender standards that deepen to purple at their outer edges, and are topped by light blush pink style arms.purple standards. Earline Sudduth Louisiana Iris flowers in midseason, typically April, flowering and grows to about 30-36"H. Louisiana Irises are easy and adaptable, rhizomatous perennials with fans of deep green sword-like foliage and seem as at home in standing water as they do in average moist garden soils. Remember that these plants do most of their growing in fall and winter and so this is when they should be fed and fall is also a great time to divide plants if desired. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for optimum vigor and flowering. Item# 13340

A 2016 Best of the Best Award winner at the UGA Trial Gardens! Large grape-like clusters of sweetly fragrant, dark purple and reddish-purple, pea-like flowers are produced throughout summer on this strong woody twining climber. Evergreen Wisteria is a non-invasive species, unlike the common Chinese Wisteria, and can be evergreen in mild winter climates (zones 9-10) but is generally deciduous elsewhere. Established plants will flower continuously from late spring and into fall. The flowers attract bees and other smaller pollinators. Evergreen Wisteria is an easy to grow and reliable vine but will need a strong long-lasting support in its permanent home as it will get fairly heavy in time. Excellent for sturdy arbors, trellises, and along fences. Item# 414

Rich purple, 1" wide daisies with a nicely contrasting sunny yellow eye are produced in mass in fall attracting bees and other smaller pollinators with a late season burst of color just in time for LSU Football! Geaux Tigers! Ezo Murasaki Japanese Woods Aster or Asian Aster, a selection of Aster ageratoides var. ageratoides, is a vigorous rhizomatous perennial adorned with deep green ovate foliage that makes an easy warm season groundcover topping out at about 24" high. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in average moist, fertile, average to well-drained soils. Caterpillar host: Field Crescent, Pearl Crescent, Texan Crescent, Roadside Checkerspot, Hoffman's Checkerspot, and American Lady. Item# 13049

Large dark mauve starry flowers with a deep eggplant center are born freely on this vigorous and large growing, and much sought after, rare Hibiscus. Fiji Island Hibiscus is a vigorous and free flowering Tropical Hibiscus producing a nearly continuous display of the rare purple Hibiscus flowers throughout the year making this a wonderful addition to the tropical garden or as a container plant. A must have for any Hibiscus lover! Deep glossy green foliage on an upright to spreading, vigorous shrub that could easily be trained into small tree standards. Caterpillar host: Gray hairstreak. Item# 9519.

The sweetly fragrant clusters of flowers open purple (yesterday), fade through lavender (today), and finally to pure white (tomorrow) creating a beautiful multi-colored effect on this popular tropical to subtropical naturally evergreen shrub. Flowering occurs in late winter and spring and they are pollinated by butterflies. The Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow can be enjoyed as a container plant where not hardy or in the ground in mild winter regions. It prefers mildly acidic, moderately fertile, average moist soils and cool sunlight to filtered shade. Item# 11168

A low growing member of the Verbena family, Frogfruit makes a beautiful, easy groundcover that is covered by tiny heads of dainty, nectar filled white flowers from late spring to fall. They enjoy moist soils but are moderately drought resistant once well established. A food source for the Common Buckeye, Phaon Crescent, and White Peacock butterfly caterpillars as well as a nectar source for a host of pollinators. This species, Phyla nodiflora var. nodiflora, is native to every continent except Antarctica. It is important not to mow/prune until flowering is complete. Frogfruit is being more widely used as a lawn grass replacement option. Item# 10524

Large rounded clusters of lightly fragrant deep fuchsia 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. GARDEN GIRLS® Material Girl Garden Phlox, a selection of our native Phlox paniculata, is a tall upright to spreading, clump forming perennial selected for both its brilliant color, long season of flowering, and disease resistance. Provide Garden Phlox with a full to mostly sunny site in an acidic, average moist, fertile soil with average or better drainage for optimum vigor and flowering. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 13280

An unusual plant rarely found for sale in the US, Giant Blue African Salvia produces spikes, up to 16" high, of blue to purple, up to 2" long, hooded, two-lipped, tubular, lightly fragrant flowers throughout the warmer months of the year with the heaviest flowering in spring and late summer and fall. A vigorous tender herbaceous plant with very large tropical foliage and square stems that can easily reach 6-9' high and may grow to 15' high becoming tree-like in its native habitat. Item# 10703.