If your favorite color is purple, then spruce up your yard with purple shrubs. You can find great choices that will help you create a privacy row at your home to block your neighbor’s landscaping. You can also use them to edge your walkway or other areas.
Many choices also make a great backdrop behind your flowerbeds. Most of the plants on our list require very little care making them a great choice for people with busy lifestyles.
If you have been considering purple shrubs, then this guide is for you as it contains popular choices and a little information on each one to guide you in your hunt for the right purple shrub.
Butterfly Bush
Butterfly bushes are hardy to zone 5, and if you live south of zone 8, then they will stay evergreen throughout the year. These shrubs need full sun and prefer well-drained soil. Adult butterflies love to feed on these plants that grow to be about 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide. You will find several colors available ranging from plum to lilac. This shrub produces many tiny flowers on long-spiked trusses.
Rhododendron
These acid-loving shrubs thrive from zones 4 to 9. There are a variety of different choices available with some being more like a tree while others are short. Therefore, make sure to choose a shrub-like rhododendron. When choosing your rhododendron shrub, keep in mind those with tiny leaves do best in full sun while those with larger leaves do best in filtered light or partial shade. Even when not blooming this evergreen shrub attracts attention for its beautiful rounded form.
Golden Dewdrops
While golden dewdrops can be grown as a smaller plant in the north, they often make great shrubs for those living in zones 9 to 11. When grown as a shrub, they can reach up to 6 feet in height and width. If you want to see plenty of purple flowers, then plant this shrub in full sun, however, it will tolerate partial shade. This tropical native does well with heavy pruning allowing you to create the shape you desire.
Hydrangea
You can find hydrangeas that grow well from zone 3 to 8, but you need to choose the variety based on where you live. While these foundation shrubs are great for shady areas in your yard, they bloom more bountifully when they get at least four hours of sunlight daily. They cannot stand wet feet, so plant them in an area that drains very well. Give your hydrangea a long soaking drink of water at least once a week in warmer weather.
Bougainvillea
Bougainvilleas are a tropical vining shrub that grows in zones 9 to 11. You can find shrubs that have single blooms while others have double blooms. These versatile shrubs need something to grow on to help them stay upright. They are easily trainable, and their prolific blooms in the spring make it worth the effort to grow this shrub. Be careful not to disturb the root ball when planting this purple shrub. Keep this plant a little dry, and it will put on even more flowers.
Lilacs
Depending on the variety, lilacs can be grown from zone 3 to 9. The great news is that this shrub requires very little care, and it will reward you with beautiful purple flowers in the spring. Plant them in slightly alkaline soil in an area where they will get at least six hours of sunlight daily. Lilacs usually do best when planted in the fall. Most varieties need to go dormant in the winter. While the light purple shade is the most popular, different shades of purple lilacs are available.
Weigela
In zones 3 to 8, Weigela makes a great border or specimen shrub. While this shrub blooms from mid-spring to mid-fall, its creamy green variegated leaves are also very attractive. It seldom grows to be taller than 6 feet with 4 feet being very common. Most will spread out to be about 5 feet wide. There are varieties with a 12-foot spread. This shrub has been around for many years making it a favorite for historic properties.
Crape Myrtle
Crape Myrtle are generally cold hardy to zone 7, and they love the heat until zone 10. They can even be grown in zone 5 as a woody sub-shrub. Plant crape myrtles in acidic soil and prune them in the fall to help them thrive. Choose an area for your purple crape myrtle where it gets the sun all day long. This shrub produces many tiny purple flowers every spring.