Sigh.

OK.
I guess nobody has any experience on these. Maybe there are rare or not popular.

Amer

I found one on Lycos!

Here is a link that might be useful: pic

Maybe they're showing the wrong foliage with this one? Looks yellowish to me!

Here is a link that might be useful: another pic

Wandering Jew, a/k/a Tradescantia zebrina has bright purple on underside of leaf.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tradescantia zebrina

Strobilanthes (aka 'Persian Sheild')

Sorry, I'm very late coming to the Gardenweb so have just seen this question. I like purple foliage also and it really is difficult to find.

Some I've found are:
-loropetalum chinense. There is a dwarf, purple leafed form with pink flowers. Very pretty, a bit touchy to grow. It may drop branches on you and get scraggly. If it does, get another. Some of 'em just won't grow well no matter what you do, others grow slowly but happily without any care.
-lobelia fulgens. Lovely reddish purple, nice vertical accent.
-solanum jasminoides. There's a variety with dark green-purple leaves and white flowers. Very pretty.
-Indian hawthorn "Hines dark leaf'. Leaves are glossy, very dark green with purple undersides.

I know the antriscus silvestris has very striking foliage, but it is bienial, I read it dies after 2 years. the acaenas I saw some pictures in catalogs and I noticed that they were very purple color but sometimes those catalogs retouch the pictures but I would give them a try.

Perilla has beautiful maroon/purple foliage, but it's an annual.

I do not know about purple aquiligia, but my experience with columbine generally has not led me to believe that these would be good foliage plants. Oh they start off beautifully in the spring, but then the leaf miners get to work and it is just ugly.

One that is currently being called a ground cover in the Burpee Catalog is the "Iresine Purple Lady". These plants can also be grown indoors.

Another variety is the "Bloodleaf" from the iresine group, the leaves are between a deep burgandy to purple and grow very well indoors also.

I have many flower pots with them that I keep in my kitchen during the winter because it gets very cold here. I divide them and set them outdoors during the summer and they really flourish.

Try Burpee catalog, they might be able to send you seeds.

Good Luck,
Debbie

Lots of different purple leafed Heucheras available.

Aster lateriflorus 'Lady in Black'; Eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy' ; Oxalis regnellii 'Triangularis' ; Panicum virgatum 'Shenandoah' ; Cotinus coggygria "Royal Purple"; Sedum "Purple Emperor"; Tradescantia 'Purple Heart'; Viola Mars; Ipomoea batatas 'Blackie'

You'll have to judge for yourself how "purple" these are--also, I didn't check the zone for all of them. Keep in mind also that plants which are planted in too much shade will not develop as much color as those planted in more sun.

I have some wandering jew (purple heart) growing in my backyard as ground cover, and i love these. I have been neglecting them for the last couple of years and did not really watered them regularly (couple of months of drought, doh!) but they did fine.

They are quite hardy, and the purple color is so gorgeous. I love the pure purple ones a lot more than the variegated (purple/green) kind. When they flower, they are also quite cute. ;)

Here is a link that might be useful: Wandering Jew (Purple heart)

Thanks for the fine suggestions.

I am alredy growing the Purple Heart Wandering Jew i the pic. Yes its lovely and easy.

Sammie, thanks for your so mnay fine suggestions. Can you indicate a seed supplier for them also?

Thanks all.

Amer

I just bought a few pots of lysimachia, variety "Firecracker" just because of its beautiful purple foliage. It will actually send out yellow blooms, but in the meantime, the foliage is very attractive. Some people call it "purple loosestrife" but it is not of the same family as the gooseneck loosestrife that everyone fears.

Sorry--reading other forums recently--I don't know of seed suppliers. I think many of those listed were available as plants from Plant Delights Nursery. Thompson-Morgan has one of the most extensive seed catalogs around, so you might start with them.

Also, I've seen pics this year of a striking purple millet that might be worth checking out.

Has anyone thought of the many varieties of coleus? Many great purples and raspberry types ...

Also, how about Fuchsia Gartenmeister (which goes well with many coleus)? The *stems* are purple, while the leaves are dark green - great combo. Finally, I agree that one of the most interesting purple colored plants is Loropetalum "Razzleberri" ... bronze and plum colored leaves, with those pink-pink fringe flowers. Yum!

My total favorite... is Japanese Blood Grass. The tint of dark burgundy is wonderful, and one thing that distinguishes it is that the leaves are thin enough for sun to shine through when the angle is right - it's almost like stained glass in the spring. I echo the shiso perilla - what a fabulous plant, I paired it with old fashioned Canterbury Bells for foliage extravaganza last yr. Also - if you have shade, there are so many new and interesting Tiarella's to look at.

canna Intrigue, wyoming. These you can get seeds and they grow fast. Intrigue is tall 5' - 6' the other Wyoming 3' - 4'

Heuchera 'Plum Pudding'(mounding), Iresine 'Purple Lady'(trailing), Salvia 'Purple Knockout' and perennial giant red lobelia Cardinal Flower (both clumping). All very red/purple with the lobelia being the only one I've noticed going more towards green in deep shade, but not by much.

There is an Altenanthera that is very dark purple that gets little white flowes on it. It is grown it warmer, frost free areas.

Bryan, Thank you. I purchased this plant at one of our home improvement stores and had never heard of it, all it said was Altenanthera. It is really dark purple almost black I am happy to hear it does get a flower.

I was in a purple frenzy buy. I purchased every plant that had purple leaves.

How about purple sedum- I think the name was Red Dragon.
I bought two of them at Lowes.

Davena

Oops. Make that Purple Emperor Stone Crop. Grows 15-18" tall and 12-18" wide. Tag says: An enchanting succulent plant offering beautiful color contrast with frosty dark purple foliage, lavender-pink scapes and medium pink flower clusters.
Davena

I purchased a 5" purple foliage plant at WalMart today, it did not have any info about it, just the word "Alteranthera" written on the plastic container. When I typed the word in Google Search the sites that came up were very discouraging--mostly talked about it being a noxious weed. I couldn't find any zone or perrenial info about the plant. Now I am afraid to plant it, but I noticed that there were several plants with close but not exact spelling, so it might even be mislabeled I guess. Maybe I will plant it anyway and see if it survives or spreads in Zone 4/5.

There are some lovely purple Echeverias........

There are many types of dark foliage begonias.

A GREAT purple foliage plant goes by the common name "Purple Heart" or Purple Queen".Latin name is Tradescantia pallida synonymous with Setcreasea purpurpea I have recently found out. Because I am searching for it.I see it here in Kentucky z6,but I guess I'm just going to have to get out and ask for a pinch.I wanted more though.They use it in Alabama where I vacationed as a drought resistant groundcover.It is however a tender annual in zones 4 through 7 I believe.It is gorgeous!True purple foliage!It does get tiny pink flowers too.It is a small branching sort of plant with the leaves coming out the side of the branch.In a container,it trails.

Have you thought of one that I just picked up... a Fagus sylvatica tortuosa purpura - it's a little, crooked beech tree (doesn't get very big at all), and a seriously gorgeous dark purple? You won't need a lot of room.

Anthriscus sylvestris 'Ravenswing' is a real black with purple tones, not bronzy green. I don't know the others you're asking about. Other plants with good colour in that range are Cimicifuga (or Actea)(a perennial), a shrub called Sambucus, and a small grass called Ophiopogon planiscapus "nigrescens." You'd have to look up cultivar names on the others - one is black lace or black veil. Ah, and also a Ligularia called Britt Marie Crawford.

Purple heart, or purple queen, is easy to grow from stem cuttings placed in soil, grows in sun or shade, is very unique looking with its spreading purple stems poking out into the air, can be used as a ground cover or just a fun plant in the garden, and it sure is PURPLE! All the garden stores in my area of Florida sell it, and Wal Mart has it for real cheap!

thymeky, I hope you asked for a pinch. If you get a long stem and break it into a couple of pieces it will fill the pot in no time.

what about purple passion?

Here is a link that might be useful: http://community.webshots.com/photo/357680679/359108782RWIcVi#

this one is lipstick plant but i'm not sure what kind. I cut some of the stems and now it has more purple leaves.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://community.webshots.com/photo/357680679/359087635FYWOFP#

Some other purple leaved palnts to consider.
Ohiopogon Nigrescens
Black magic Elephants Ears
Little Blackie Imopoea
I second the Persian Shield plant. I have it growing
Dark Purple Salvia,Magenta Impatiens, and Magenta
Pentas, and it looks stunning.

Hi everybody!
I think on this post of the Companion Plants forum you can find other interesting purple leaved plants:

Here is a link that might be useful: Other post on purple foliage

Hey:
I am still adding to my Purple Leaved foliage plants. I
ran across a strian of Ajuga called Black Scallop which was
just gorgeous. It is perenial so eventually a nice thick
groudcover will develop. It has Cobalt Blue flowers in the Spring. The foliage is much Blacker in brighter Sun. Ajugas
like lots of water.

Sedum Black Jack, Ligualria Britt Marie Crawford, Cimicifuga, or I believe it's reclassified as Actea Hillside Black Beauty, Sedum Vera Jameson (sp)

I planted the Alternathera this Spring , and it did really fantastic. It got huge and I just snipped the tips back, and stuck them in some pots, and they rooted and took off.
Alternathera has several species types from low trialing types to large 3 foot high bushes. they come in Chartreuse,Burgundy, Purple, and the more common Joseph's Coat, which has green, cream and pink variagation.
Another plant I ran across this Spring was a type of Oxalis called Charmed Velvet. It is just wonderful. This Summer in 104 heat, it was one of the few plants that thrived. I understand it's best to plant them in pots, become they will spread and become invasive. I have them in my window boxes on my shed with Panzies.