I have Purple Palace Heuchera, and what I believe is Husker Red Penstemon. It gets small white flowers on it, and the foliage is a great purple color. The heuchera looks great with Silver Mound Artemesia.

Hi Dawn. Like you, I'm also on the lookout for plants with non-green foliage. In addition to the good ones you mentioned:

Salvia lyrata 'Purple Knockout' very dark foliage. Self-seeded a bit in my rock garden, wasn't able to overwinter though, grow it from seed so not the end of the world if not hardy here.

A slight twist on all of the good purple Heucheras, is that there are also purple Heucherellas, too that you might like.

If you're into bog gardening, the pitchers of Purple Pitcher Plants (Sarracenia purpurea) have strong purple colouring. Having a go with them this year, bought a couple of plants and grew a bunch of seedlings. The seedlings are cool, tiny holes in the end of their little leaves (baby pitchers I guess).

This isn't purple, but it's colour is so great I thought you might be interested - the grassy foliage of Carex buchananii is completely reddish-brown, very nice. I've been able to coax one through a couple of winters before the -40 killed it, then grew another from seed the next year. I also noticed them for sale in a local garden centre this spring.

I like purple foliage with any other colored foliage: silver, blue, golden. Flower colors that especially enhance purple foliage are usually saturated, strong ones like orange or magenta, while I think pastels do not work as well. But adding other foliage colors can change that balance.

For a beautiful, purple background for your flowers, try Cotinus 'Royal Purple', Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo' (WOW!) and Rosa glauca.

I like purple foliage too -but be careful it can look like a black hole in the shade.part shade seems ok but purple place coral bells and husker red pentsemon with a japanese red maple in too much shade looked horrible for me,I had other plants with this combo of course but the dark plants just vanished, moving them to a brighter more open shade position helped.---LUPINE:)

For big purple leaves I have a Canna lily called Wyoming (like the state). It has bright orange flowers. vgkg

Thanks for your responses everyone.

Brenda... if you like Palace Purple Heuchera, check into Heuchera 'Bressingham Bronze'. It is similiar but is described as "being more stable" - that is, it maintains its dark coloring throughout the year. I just got one this year and I feel it is a far superior plant. Love it!

Glen... yes I have seen the pic of Salvia lyrata 'Purple Knockout' on your website. Interesting. I just can't decide if I like its form or not. Maybe I just need to find the right companions for it. What do you plant it with?

HVS... all three of the plants you mentioned are drop dead gorgeuos! Unfortunately they are too big for my very small gardening space. There is a possibility that we may move within the next 6 months (would have a bigger yard) and if we do I will be sure to get these three!

Happy Gardening all!
Dawn G.

I have purple sage, purple palace Heuchera, mixed in with Dusty Miller! I also have the pennisetum rubrum (purple fountain grass) and a varigated green and white grass mix.
Looks great!

Just got 75% off a SHE-who must not be named plant at K-mart- Eupatorium Chocolate - pretty purple foilage !I have had this plant die on me before (not quite hardy?) I'll mulch this time.

I have purplish colored "Oxalis". They have been blooming since early spring and still going strong despite the heat.
Of course in our hot climate I have them growing in almost complete shade, along side some variagated dwarf Mondo? grass. The small pink flowers are very pretty. BTW they are not invasive at all. Happy gardening. Tomasita

Hey Lupine - I just bought Eupatorium 'Chocolate' too! It is really coloring up nicely in the sun now. It's a good one!

And have you folks seen the shrub Psydocarpus (spelling?) 'Diablo'? Saw it in the nursery the other day. It is to die for! Gorgeous purple foilage. The tag says it grows to 7' x 4' though so I can't fit it into my small garden. Oh well.

Glen... oh yeh, forgot to comment on Carex buchanni. I have had my eye on that one for a while now buy am not sure what to put it with. Don't want it to look like a dead plant amongst lush green stuff. Mmmmmm...?

Later all...
Dawn G.

If you have the space put in a purple smoke-bush or non-flowering purple plum. I have this one and the great thing is that the branches reach up and out and down and around and become a great backdrop for both the garden and for bouquets.
I also can heartily recommend looking at some phlox. I bought one this year with lovely purple foliage which is starting to show lovely looking red flowers. Mmmm- can't wait until it blooms. Sorry I can't remember the name right now.
I also love my epimedium in the shade garden. One has a purply bronzy look to it. Lovely.
Well, keep those knees and knails in the dirt
Gilly

I like the purple heucheras as well; I have them planted with a Stella D'Oro daylily in between them; looks great!

Here's a picture of Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo', with Dianthus 'Ace of Spades' (a biennial).

Here is a link that might be useful:

Hello When it comes to purple foilage my favorate is ajuga catlin's giant and ajuga burgandy under trees with a mixture of coneflowers white and black eyed susans.

I bought a purple foilage plant this spring, but don't know the name of it. It has sort of irridescent leaves which are long and pointed. If I remember correctly, it was supposed to have orchid-like flowers, but hasn't bloomed. It should be in a shady place, because the sun burns the leaves. Anyone have any idea what this is?

Oh, I forgot the:

Phormium tenax (several varieties)
Sedum spurium 'Dragon's Blood'

...and I probably forgot more...and more will be added later

Dawn - combinations for 2 plants I mentioned...

For Salvia lyrata 'Purple Knockout', I've tried a couple of combinations, the one I like is in my rock garden with an annual called Mesembryanthemum 'Lunette' (aka Ice Plant, Livingstone Daisy). This variety has bright yellow flowers with red centres, quite nice. Have a photo of the annual (sorry no photo of combo) at link below.

For Carex buchananii, I have it growing with 2 Heuchera 'Palace Purple'. These particular plants have quite a brownish colour to their foliage, which I think goes well with this Carex.

Have this combo growing in partial shade. I've seen Heuchera 'Palace Purple' in other gardens and I thought it had more purple colouring than my plants. I used to have these 2 plants in full sun where their leaves were even more brown-coloured. So, maybe my plants are getting more sun and therefore are more brown?

Here is a link that might be useful: Mesembryanthemum 'Lunette'

I have a couple of purple-foliaged hebes which I have planted in a large pot next to lime-green licorice plant (helichrysm ?) and some Hakanokloa (? spelling) aureus. Beautiful.

New for me this year is Cryptotaenia japonica atropurpurea. Saw it at the nursery, looked it up in the reference books and it was not in any of them, which made it even more desirable! Bronzy purple foliage, tiny sprays of white flowers showed up late in july. It is supposed to get 30" tall. I planted it in part shade with geranium"Ann Folkard", and ladies mantle. Have since found the plant listed in some books, always for shade or part shade.

Hi Evelyn, In your post you listed Alternanthera dentata 'Rubinginosa'. Would you please describe the plant? I am trying to identify a plant that was given to me. I'm sure it is from the same family as 'Rubin'.I was not told of any flowering.

Glen: thanks for the ideas. Regarding 'Palace Purple'... if you don't like the way it browns up (all the ones I have seen always do this as the season goes on), then try 'Bressingham Bronze'. Very similiar except this one is said to be "more stable", maintianing its deep color all year. Mine has maintained a very good deep coloring so far. Love it. The Mesembryanthemum you have is fantastic! Have "oohed and awed" at that pic on your site before.

Verleen: Isn't Cryptotaenia japonica atropurpurea gorgeous! I saw them in a nursery in the spring. Didn't get any though as I didn't have a shady enough spot for it at the time. I have heard it it self-seeds pretty aggressively so it won't be hard to increase your stalk it thats what you want to do.

And folks - if you haven't yet come across Glen's site - go there now! Lot's of really great pics! Link below...

Dawn G.

Here is a link that might be useful: Perennial Gardening on the Prairies

The best purple foliage I got last year was from an herb - Perilla. You have to have very fresh seeds. It is like a purple basil but can stand the heat or shade.

Does anyone know which variety of hyacinth bean - dolichos lablab has purple foliage? I saw some at the Hudson Gardens in Denver but haven't found the seed yet.
Thanks... Sheryl

Here is a link that might be useful: Perilla with margarite potato vine

I have enjoyed reading all the great suggestions, as I am addicted to the purple plants also and will try some of the ideas. Here is a very nice heuchera that no one has mentioned: 'Purple Petticoats'. It looked good most of the winter, too, and did not fade out.

Geranium 'Samobar' is an intersting purple color echo plant. The foliage is a very pretty mix of green and purple. The flower is small and purple. Canna 'Futurity Pink' has beautiful purple leaves and rosy pink flowers.

Sheryl
I, also, like perilla. It reseeds prolifically. I haven't seen any seedlings yet this year but it is early.

Hey Dawn!

Good question, as is evident by so many responses. How about a surprise purple? I love Agastache Cana, 'Heather Queen'. First it smells wonderful, then you see the tops of the blue green leaves, then...the wind blows. The underside of the leaves is purple! It is like the leaves have two personalities! Really cool.

I agree with Gilly about the purple plum. They are smaller trees and mine has a lovely purply bark. My trees get almost as many comments as the flower? I thought they were supposed to be a 'back drop'?!

And as Evelyn knows, Viola 'Bowles Black' flower is so velvety purple, really nice. It also has good looking foliage and even the stems enhance the purple feel.

All of the suggestions are inspiring, and great reading. Thanks everyone for such an enjoyable topic.

I have seeds for the perilla and purple hyacinth bean. Just the stems, flowers, and pods are purple on the hyacinth bean, though. The leaves are still green. I've posted pictures of these on HortiPlex. If you want any seeds, I'd be glad to send them for an SASE. Perilla is a wonderful all-purpose filler for me.

Here is a link that might be useful: my exchange page with links to pictures

Heres a picture of my purple sage!!! Debbie.

Here is a link that might be useful: purple sage is blooming

Another great purple Heuchera is 'Amethyst Myst.' One of the best purple leaved plants I know is the elephant's ear, Black Magic. I have always grown mine in containers, overwintering them in the basement, and they do very well. In a season they reach a height of between 5 and 6 feet and the big purple leaves are spectacular. One of my newest purple acquisitions is Gaura 'Pink Fountain,' which has beautiful green splotched purple foliage and dark pink flowers.

This is my second year with Hypericum androsaemum ÂAlbury Purple or ÂTutsanÂ. The leaves are a blue green mottled with purple. Then at the end of each stem are small yellow star like flowers with showy stamens. These turn into red then black berries. It died all the way back this winter which was mild, so it may need protection.

Here is a link that might be useful: Albury Purple

Hi,

Great thread, Dawn and Evelyn, quite a list! Thanks I am going to save that for future reference. Your plants sound nice Dawn. I am finding a lot of ideas for more purple foliage plants. I am very interested in adding more sedums. Where are you finding so many varieties?

I also enjoy different shades of foliage for interest. I am growing the Vera Jameson Sedum. I had it in a half sun area in a shrub bed and it didn't do well. I moved it this year, near the top of a low sandy colored stone wall in full sun and it is quite different. It is darker in color, but unfortunately, some of the middle leaves look like they have bleached out and if I pull them it will leave a bare spot. I am disappointed. I wish I knew what caused that. It is a very dark plant and it was looking great on the top of that wall, in combination with a lime green chyrsanthemum, a blue fescue grass, a snow in summer and a geranium 'Carmina' that has a purple cast to the leaves.

I have a Sedum 'Matrona' which has reddish purple stems and purple shading over the leaves. I love this sedum even better than the Vera Jameson. It has a very pretty habit of growth. The sedums are so easy to propagate it is laughable, so if you have a large area or are on a budget, these are cost effective.

No one mentioned Viola Labradorica...the purple leaved viola which is so pretty in the shade with a purple flower that holds itself above the leaves and has a pretty habit of growth. Of course, they multiply and reseed, so you have to have the right place for them.

I also have the Carex buchannii. I just bought it this year. I am enjoying it. I have an Agastache Pink Panther with a Blue Fortune anise Hyssop in back of the carex and Sedum Matrona, Autumn Joy, and purple ruffled basil clustered with it. It has been pretty all season. The anise hyssop has brownish tips to the leaves when it is young that echo the Carex. Although I am happy with the plant, I had some reservation that I couldn't put my finger on. I finally figured out, that it is the stiffness of the plant. It doesn't sway as much as most grasses do. I will definitely keep it, but I would like to keep looking for a similar color grass that moves more.

Thanks for all the good ideas.
:-)
Slvr

purple basil! also, purple perilla-- has a nice crinkly foliage (my ex thought it was dried up from drought but i had watered it faithfully; it just has a crinkly look). i also grow purple string beans-- royal burgundy and sequoia varieties-- they have purple pods but the leaves tend to be green with purple veins.

Hi all! Dawn G. here. I had no idea this thread was still going strong! (have since changed my username)

Anyway - Slvr, I have found all my sedums at local nurseries here in southern Ontario, Canada. Most of them carry all the ones I mentioned.

Since my post 2 years ago I have also added Sedum 'Matrona'. Oh my! This is the most perfect plant I have ever seen. For me it is only the stems that are a dark color but it is a handsome, robust, classy plant! Needs no pinching and is utterly perfect in form. Mine is now about 2 feet wide and 2+ feet tall and drop dead gorgeous.

Sedum 'Morchen' - has become a beautiful DARK BURGANDY gal with pink blooms and is the first of sedums to bloom. It is just starting now. Now this is a plant that you would see in the nursery and say "Ugh. Wouldn't buy that one." Well, in a pot and also for a while in the spring it is an unappealing muddy color. But wow, wait till it has been in the garden for a while and the weather warms up. You will be pleasantly surprised. This one does need to be pinched in the spring or it will get floppy. Grows to about 14 inches high for me.

Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon' update: Whew! Does this baby self seed. Though, I don't mind as there are always lots of people will to take the babies off my hands.

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' which is still my favourite dark leafed Heuch croaked last year. So sad. Not sure why.

Added Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate' this year. Nice chocolate/green foilage.

Also have had a Cimicifuga ramosa 'Brunette' for a couple years now in part shade. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Purple/black foilage. What more can I say! Oh, and the late season flowers smell wonderful!

Well, that's about all that is new for me on this topic.

Later folks...

Oops, no I wasn't drunk when I said I just got Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate'. Yes, I did have it before but gave it to a friend as I wanted to put something else in that spot. Then it came back to me (for a different spot) from the same neighbour when she moved this year. ;-) Anyway, just thought I would mention in case your were confused as I realized I had mentioned that one before. Blah-blah-blah...

Even though you are all probably on info overload, here's my list of favorites:
Ajuga pyramidalis 'Metalica Crispa' (texture is very borcade-like.
Hypericum androsaemum 'Albury Purple' (really a burgundy but still good shrub).
Cimicifuga symplex 'Brunette'
Anthriscus 'Raven's Wing'
Aster 'Black Queen' (I think that's the name of it)
Aster 'Black Prince'
Angelica purpurea
Salvia officinalis purpurea
Salvia offinalis 'Mildred Faye's Rainbow Sage'
Eupatorium rugosum 'Chocolate'
Angelica (Vicar's mead)(Heronswood catalogue) it could be Angelica purpurescens, cool dramatic foliage. Will reseed!
Bronze Fennel
Bijou lettuce (I am not kidding, this is gorgeous!)
Last but not least is a little ajuga called 'Chocolate Chip' one of my new favorites.

Can anyone ID a purple foliage plant from this very vague description?
Almost 20 years ago I visited a zone 5 garden that contained several tall columnar or cone shaped, 5 or 6' purple/maroon plants, grown mainly for their foliage. I believe that they were grown as annuals, but would freely seed throughout the garden and grow easily the following year, often in unwanted spots. The flowers appeared to be astilbe-like, and almost the same color as the foliage. The shape of the leaves I cannot recall exactly, but they may have been realtively narrow and pointed. Sorry for the lack of details, but the memmory of them is fuzzy at best. Ring any bells?

Im a purple lover too! Its my favorite colour!

Something new for me is Alternanthera 'Purple Knight'.

Has anyone grown this plant before? I ordered these seeds from Dominion Seed House in Ontario and sowed them yesterday. Since its considered an annual here in Canada, I think they would look nice in large containers like a whiskey barrel and perhaps a Carmencita Red-Bronze Castor Bean in the middle. Oh yes, we need some color, Purple Tidal Waves would look good with this plant too. Im also going to leave a plant indoors to use as indoor plant all year around.
(see photo below)

Alternanthera dentata ÂPurple Knight This is a beautiful foliage plant that thrives in full sun, but will also grow in shade. ÂPurple Knight is a fast growing plant with deep purple to green foliage. In full sun, the stems of ÂPurple Knight spread out wide. In the shade, plants tend to grow more upright and tall. Plants retained better purple color and a more attractive growth habit in full sun. Plants grew up to 3-feet tall and 3-feet across in the shade, and up to 2-feet in full sun. Also excellent in containers. (Annual- full sun)

Im sure all of you addicted gardeners out there have seen this in the catalogues this year, its called, Pennisetum glaucum 'Purple Majesty' (Ornamental Millet) which I will start later on in the season. Should be a show stopper!

I also ordered 2 Sambucus 'Black Beauty' shrubs from Dominion Seed House. Beautiful display of deep rich purple dissected foliage, enhanced in June by loads of lemon scented rich pink flowers, follwed by edible purplish black berries. Very easy to grow, it tolerates hard pruning. A "must" for every garden. Birds will love it too! Zone 3.
http://www.koiwascotland.plus.com/garden/sambucus.jpg

Happy Gardening everyone!
I can't wait till Spring!
Rose

Here is a link that might be useful:

I love all the purple leaved heucheras-I've had good luck with 'Ruby Ruffles' and 'Midnight Claret'. Also great is Cryptotania japonica 'Atropurpurea', Perilla (which reseeds), Sedum Mohrchen, Cimicifuga 'Brunette', Cotinus 'Velvet Cloak', purple leaf plum tree, and of course red Japanese maples. All of these stay purple/red all season.

Euphorbia dulcis 'Chameleon' (also reseeds, but easy to pull out), is great in the spring, but turns more green as the season progresses. I've started cutting it back so the maroony foliage comes back from the ground. Penstemon 'Rachels Dance' and 'Huskers Red' are good, but turn more green also in late summer.

I have Hibiscus 'Kopper King' which has a purplish cast to the foliage. Here it is with Knautia macedonica:

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I also have a few purple leaved sand cherries. Here is one on the left in the pic of my fragrance garden:
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Monique, I love that Hibiscus 'Kopper King'. Your garden looks marvelous!

Wow, Its amazing the number of people who are enjoying these dark foliage plants. They certainly add great variety in the garden.

Elizabeth

The best looking purple plant that I've seen is Persian Shield. I first saw it in Hawaii (in full sun) It was beautiful with long pointed purple leaves with a silver sheen to it. I also have some planted in part shade, and some in full shade. I've had them for two years.(I'm in zone 8) They died back to the ground but came back. I covered them with about 4 inches of shredded leaves for the winter and pruned them back to about 4 inches in spring.They also get small lav. flowers ocasionally. And its very easy to propigate.

Great thread, full of good ideas -- thanks. I saw that some of you have Eupatorium Chocolate. I was given some of those seeds and am wondering if I'll get flowers this first summer. Also, how tall does this plant get? The seedlings (which I winter sowed about a month ago) are still tiny.

As for purple foliage ideas, try Red Rubin Basil or Iresine herbstii (Bloodleaf). I combined the latter with a maroon and green coleus whose name I lost track of, and it was spectacular.

Love this thread.
No one yet has mentioned how great the purple plants look in the moon garden with silver foliage and white flowers. They add add contrast durring the day and at night they fade away and serve as a backdrop to make the white pop even more. Many of them have white flowers.
Also, don't forget the annuals for filling in the spaces. A few of them were mentioned; sisso and purple basil(I like red opel even better than the ruffly one), bronze fennel, but would also like to add snap dragons. I had some great ones with very dark foliage and blood red flowers. Also those fancy impatients(the name is escaping me right now). Great with white or red flowers.
Did anyone mention black elephant ears yet?
Catrina