18 Stunning Purple Foliage Plants to Elevate Your Garden

Purple foliage plants bring depth, elegance, and an air of mystery to gardens. Their rich tones range from deep burgundy to soft lavender, creating stunning contrast against green and golden leaves. Whether you’re designing a dramatic landscape or adding bold accents, these plants deliver year-round beauty with their vibrant hues.

Let’s explore some of the most captivating purple foliage plants that will transform your garden into a rich, colorful masterpiece!

Japanese Maple ‘Bloodgood’ (Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’)

One of the most iconic purple trees, Bloodgood features deep red-purple leaves that hold their rich color throughout the season. In fall, they intensify to fiery crimson, making this slow-growing maple a spectacular focal point in any landscape.

Purple Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’)

This deciduous shrub delivers dramatic, velvety purple foliage throughout summer, topped with wispy, smoke-like flowers that create an ethereal effect. As fall approaches, its leaves shift to a fiery orange-red, adding another burst of color to the garden.

Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’)

A bold ornamental grass, Purple Fountain Grass produces deep burgundy blades topped with soft, feathery plumes that sway gracefully in the breeze. It’s heat-tolerant, thrives in full sun, and provides movement and texture in borders or containers.

Heuchera ‘Purple Palace’ (Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’)

This coral bells variety boasts ruffled burgundy-purple leaves that remain vibrant year-round. Its compact growth makes it perfect for edging, mixed borders, or shaded gardens, bringing a royal glow to any planting scheme.

Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus)

Few plants match the metallic shimmer of Persian Shield. Its vibrant purple leaves are streaked with silver, creating a jewel-like effect. Thriving in warm climates, it’s an eye-catching tropical that works beautifully in containers or garden beds.

Sweet Potato Vine ‘Blackie’ (Ipomoea batatas ‘Blackie’)

This trailing vine boasts rich purple-black foliage that cascades beautifully from hanging baskets and containers. It thrives in warm climates, offering deep-toned contrast against bright flowers or golden foliage plants.

Loropetalum ‘Plum Delight’ (Loropetalum chinense ‘Plum Delight’)

This evergreen shrub produces lush purple leaves year-round, with bursts of frilly pink flowers in spring. It’s low-maintenance and provides fantastic contrast in landscapes, especially when paired with silver or green plants.

Ajuga ‘Burgundy Glow’ (Ajuga reptans ‘Burgundy Glow’)

For a colorful ground cover, Burgundy Glow Ajuga is unbeatable. Its variegated leaves shift between purple, silver, and green, creating a textured, dynamic effect in shady spots. It’s fast-growing, low-maintenance, and perfect for brightening up darker spaces.

Purple-leaved Oxalis (Oxalis triangularis)

With deep plum-colored leaves shaped like butterfly wings, Oxalis triangularis brings whimsical charm to gardens and indoor spaces. It thrives as a container plant or shade ground cover, producing small pink flowers that contrast beautifully against its purple backdrop.

Coleus ‘Dark Chocolate’

This bold coleus variety features rich, almost-black purple leaves that create intense contrast in borders, mixed planters, and indoor displays. It’s easy to grow, offering season-long color with minimal upkeep.

Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’)

A fast-growing trailing plant, Purple Heart delivers lush violet foliage that works beautifully in hanging baskets or as a ground cover. Its low-maintenance nature and bright purple stems make it a favorite for dramatic color accents.

Purple Velvet Plant (Gynura aurantiaca)

This unique houseplant features deep green leaves covered in fine purple hairs, giving it a soft, velvety sheen. It thrives in bright, indirect light, making it a striking indoor accent with a bold texture.

Red Flame Ivy (Hemigraphis alternata)

Also known as Purple Waffle Plant, Red Flame Ivy boasts deep purple foliage with a crinkled texture, adding depth to indoor and outdoor spaces. It thrives in humid environments, making it a great choice for terrariums or shaded gardens.

Wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina)

A fast-growing trailing plant, Tradescantia zebrina features striped purple and silver leaves, creating a shimmering effect in hanging baskets or ground cover plantings. It’s easy to propagate, making it a favorite for beginners.

Purple Cordyline (Cordyline fruticosa ‘Purple Prince’)

This tropical stunner boasts deep purple sword-like leaves, adding bold contrast to gardens or indoor spaces. It thrives in warm climates, offering year-round color with minimal maintenance.

Echeveria ‘Perle von Nürnberg’

A classic purple succulent, Perle von Nürnberg features soft lavender-gray rosettes that deepen in color with bright sunlight. It’s drought-tolerant and perfect for rock gardens or containers.

Purple Prickly Pear (Opuntia macrocentra)

A striking cactus, Purple Prickly Pear features vibrant purple pads that deepen in color during dry seasons. It produces yellow flowers with red centers, adding even more contrast.

Santa Rita Prickly Pear (Opuntia violacea)

This violet-hued cactus boasts rich purple pads, complemented by yellow flowers in spring. It’s heat-tolerant, making it a bold addition to desert landscapes.