There is something so calming yet so captivating about seeing purple flowers in the garden. Beautiful purple flowers come in all different shades of soft lilac, violet, mauve, periwinkle, and bold deep purple. Purple is one of the most popular flower colors you will see in home gardens and for good reason!
If you love purple flowers, there are many different annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs you can plant in your garden that will reward you with purple blooms for weeks (or months!). There are even beautiful purple flowering vines that are very easy to grow from seed, which is a great way to incorporate some lovely purple blooms into your garden at little cost.
Here you will find some of the most beautiful purple flowers for a stunning summer garden.
*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. All opinions and recommendations are my own.
Why You’ll Love Purple Flowers In Your Garden
Variety
Since purple flowers are one of the most popular choices of color for home gardens, there are endless varieties to choose from. You can walk into any local garden center and you are sure to find plenty of beautiful purple flowers. From purple annuals that will bloom all summer long, to purple perennials that will fill your garden summer after summer, the options are endless.
And if you’re searching for beautiful purple flowers to grow from bulbs such as alliums, from seeds such as hyacinth bean vine, from tubers such as dahlias, or from corms such as ranunculus, there is such a wide variety available from online garden shops.
Color
Just like the endless variety of purple flowering plants, the shades of purple are quite expansive as well! From the softest shades of lilac, to a deep, bold purple that is a stunning addition to any garden, you can’t go wrong with any shade of purple flowers. Feel free to mix and match shades of purple in your garden, as light and dark shades will compliment each other well.
Sense of calm
Purple tends to be one of the most calming colors you can add to your garden. Think of the opposite- how does it feel when you see a sea of bright yellow flowers? Although beautiful, yellow really brings a cheery, energetic “pop” to the garden. How about red? Maybe a bit more of a bold, daring feeling if you will.
Now envision a mass of purple flowers. Light lilac, deep violet, a mix of gorgeous purple hues… so serene. Think of lavender fields in Provence, or wispy purple florals in an English garden- both exude a peaceful sense of calm. What a peaceful, healing and lovely touch to add to your garden.
Garden Design & Color Combination
Beautiful purple flowers are found in all different garden design styles from English cottage gardens to formal gardens and everything in between. From wispy plants like Catmint that soften walkways, to more upright plants like Irises that bring a strong sense of form to a garden landscape, there are so many options to choose from that will add the loveliest of color to any garden design style.
Shades of purple pair well with almost any color combination. Here are some ideas to consider when pairing purple with other colors in the garden:
- Purple and White: one of my absolute favorite colors to pair in the garden! I love mixing softer pale lilac with richer purples and whites. There are endless options for combinations when you choose purples and whites. And the combination is always stunning!
- Purple and Soft Yellow: I love a buttery soft yellow flower with either a lighter lilac color or a deeper purple color that almost leans blue. (If you’re looking for a perfect buttery soft yellow spring flower, be sure to check out this post!)
- Purple and Apricot: I’m usually not a big fan of orange in the garden, however, I love a soft apricot color. Pairing an apricot flower with a lighter lilac colored flower is quite the site to see. (I love our apricot colored Wollerton Old Hall English rose!)
- Purple and Pink: Mix and match shades of purple and pink for an absolutely gorgeous garden. From soft pale pink to brighter pink flowers, all will give a feminine and lovely touch to a garden combined with shades of purple. Add some whites to the mix as well! (Be sure to check out this post on gorgeous pink English roses for your garden!)
- Purple and Silvery Green: Purple looks absolutely magnificent paired with plants that are silver or silvery green such as Dusty Miller, Lamb’s Ear, Eucalyptus, Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’, Blue Fescue, Artemisia, or Dianthus. For flowers that already have that silvery green color and purple florets, Russian Sage and Lavender are some of the absolute best!
12 Of The Most Beautiful Purple Flowers For Summer
Although there are too many lovely flowers I could choose for this list, I’ve picked some of my absolute favorite purple flowers that have rewarded us with a truly beautiful summer garden!
1.) Salvia: ‘Rockin’ Playin’ The Blues’
Let’s start with one of my absolute favorite annuals EVER: ‘Rockin’ Playin’ The Blues’ Salvia. If you want a purple annual flower that will bloom ALL summer through fall, this one is it. This salvia has the most striking deep purple color- that beautiful, bold, somewhere-in-between purple and blue that truly stands out in the garden. Attracting honeybees, hummingbirds, and butterflies all summer long, this pollinator-friendly flower does more than just look pretty!
- Plant Type: Annual
- Height: 2′-3′
- Width: 2′-3′
- Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
2.) Russian Sage: ‘Denim N’ Lace’ and ‘Sage Advice’
Next up, one of my absolute favorite perennials EVER: Russian Sage. I have used both similar varieties ‘Sage Advice’ and ‘Denim N’ Lace’ Russian Sage, and they are both rockstar plants that are drought-tolerant, pollinator magnets, more compact that older varieties, and have the most beautiful silver-green foliage and lilac purple florets. (Read this post to learn more about Russian Sage and all its glory, plus why it’s the best plant for the neglectful gardener!). Light, airy, and delicate, these florets make Russian Sage one of the most beautiful purple flowers.
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Height: 2′
- Width: 3′
- Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
3.) Hyacinth Bean Vine: ‘Ruby Moon’
One of the most beautiful purple flowering vines, and very easy to grow from seed, is the Hyacinth Bean Vine. I have grown ‘Ruby Moon’ Hyacinth Bean Vine, and let me tell you- the gorgeous purple bean pods and bright rosy-purple flowers that appear from this vine make it one of the most unique and stunning annual vines I have grown. (Read more about the incredible purple Hyacinth Bean Vine here!)
- Plant Type: Annual Flowering Vine
- Height: 10′-15′
- Width: 1′-3′
- Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
4.) Catmint: ‘Cat’s Meow‘
A classic and traditional favorite perennial for the garden is the lovely Catmint (also referred to as Nepeta). ‘Cat’s Meow’ Nepeta is a long-blooming, drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, pollinator-friendly purple perennial that is a favorite choice for softening borders with its wispy spikes of lilac florets that gracefully dance in the breeze.
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Height: 17″-20″
- Width: 2′-3′
- Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
5.) Salvia: ‘Caradonna’
If you’re looking for a purple perennial with majestic spikes of violet that stand tall in your garden, Salvia Nemerosa ‘Caradonna’ is the perfect choice. A multiple award-winner, Caradonna Salvia brings strong form and color to your garden landscape, blooming for weeks and attracting butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Height: 18″-24″
- Width: 18″-24″
- Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
6.) Veronica (Spike Speedwell): ‘Vernique Blue’
OH THAT COLOR! This strikingly bold purple-blue perennial is ‘Vernique Blue’ Veronica (Spike Speedwell). This beauty is not only one of the most beautiful purple flowers, it’s also drought-tolerant and attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees.
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Height: 12″-18″
- Width: 12″-18″
- Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds
7.) Lavender: ‘Munstead’/’Hidcote’ English And ‘Grosso’ French
One of the most popular purple perennials is the incredibly fragrant Lavender. There are so many varieties from the English Lavender ‘Munstead’ or ‘Hidcote’, to the French Lavender ‘Grosso’ and so many more. Lavender has beautiful silver-green foliage, loves full-sun, and is one of the most therapeutic-scented flowers you can grow in your garden.
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Height: 18″-36″ (depending on variety)
- Width: 18″-36″ (depending on variety)
- Attracts: Bees, Butterflies
8.) Sweet Alyssum: ‘Wonderland Purple’
Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia) ‘Wonderland Purple’ is a lovely, low-growing perennial that has beautiful little clusters of sweetly scented, bright purple florets. This adorable trailing flower is a great choice for planters or raised garden beds. Sweet Alyssum really spreads throughout the summer, filling in quickly and densely!
- Plant Type: Annual
- Height: 3″-4″
- Width: 10″-18″
- Attracts: Bees, Butterflies
9.) Rose Of Sharon (Hibiscus): ‘Lavender Chiffon’
If you’re looking for a tall shrub with beautiful purple flowers, ‘Lavender Chiffon’ Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus) is a fantastic choice. Reaching up to 12 feet tall at maturity, this award-winning, drought-tolerant, sun-loving, long-blooming shrub is a showstopper in the garden.
- Plant Type: Shrub
- Height: 8′-12′
- Width: 4′-6′
- Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds
10.) Veronica (Spike Speedwell): ‘Very Van Gogh’
‘Very Van Gogh’ Veronica (Spike Speedwell) is one of the most beautiful purple perennial flowers with its bright pops of color on long spikes that attract butterflies and hummingbirds from mid to late summer.
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Height: 1′-2′
- Width: 1′-2′
- Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds
11.) Siberian Iris: ‘Caesar’s Brother’
‘Caesar’s Brother’ Siberian Iris boasts striking, velvety, deep violet flowers that are sure to make a bold statement in the garden. With sturdy flower stalks, swordlike leaves, and dainty blossoms, Siberian Iris brings strong form and color to your garden. A classic and beloved favorite of the most beautiful flowers throughout history.
- Plant Type: Perennial
- Height: 3′-4′
- Width: 1′-2′
- Attracts: Hummingbirds
12.) Hydrangea: ‘BloomStruck’
Who doesn’t love a gorgeous hydrangea?? ‘BloomStruck’ Hydrangea boasts the most beautiful bold bundles of strikingly intense purple flowers. This hydrangea can vary from pink to purple based on the ph of the soil. Adjusting the ph of the soil by adding a soil acidifier will give you the most beautiful purple flowers that are sure to be a showstopper in your garden all summer long!
- Plant Type: Shrub
- Height: 3′-4′
- Width: 4′-5′
Other Posts You’ll Love:
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9 Most Beautiful Tulips To Plant This Fall (For A Stunning Spring Garden)
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