Well, in my experience of seeking a decent, dark purple vs. insipid (forgive me) lilac purple, I found Charles Jolie to be terribly disappointing.

There's a new one I saw at Homestead, which I'm waiting to see on maybe Sunday (swap is Saturday, so my weekly trip will be a day later). Its blossoms weren't broken open, but if they fulfill the promise, this lilac will be a gorgeous, dark, dusty purple. The name, believe it or not is "lilac (something)". I can't remember it!!

However, if you can hold off, I'll get it for you.

There are many here who have been the recipients of many, so-called "purple" plants, shrubs and trees from me when the color has been horribly (icky) disappointing. And things that were supposed to be red. [snort] You can't fool me with color!

For example, in addition to the Charles Jolie? Blow off the Catawba Crape Myrtle and go with Velma's Royal Delight. Butterfly Bushes? You want dark? Black Knight. Magenta? Royal Red. Decent, regular purple? Potter's Purple or Guenivere. (I have another, but the name is again escaping me.)

I'm really into eggplant-colored purple. If I can't get red? That's my next choice.

And when I say red, I don't mean pink or orange.
If you want red, go for ... what? Oh.

That's another thread. :)

Christine

God, I love lilacs. I don't have enough sun in my yard to grow them, however. But whenever I take Muttley for a walk, I always stop to sniff the various lilacs we encounter along the way. BTW, did anyone know that lilacs are a relative of the olive tree? I forget now where I read that but I remember it surprised me at the time.

This thread brings to mind a conversation I had yesterday.

A friend put in dark purple lilacs, either last year or the one before. She bought them in bloom so she knew exactly what color they were, and that they matched. This year, one of the lilacs is WHITE! And the smell is stronger!

Any ideas how that could happen?

Hi Christine, I'm looking for the darkest purple Crape Myrtle I can get, but all the local nurseries out here stock is 'Catawba' and insist its the darkest. I know just what youre saying, it looks pretty light to me. Is 'Velma's Royal Delight' what I'm looking for? Thanks ..

NO!!!!!!
Not Catawba!!!!
At least in my yard, it was an extremely disappointing lilac color.

I strongly and happily recommend Velma's Royal Delight. It's almost grape in color. No pink, no lilac, just gorgeous, dark yet bright purple.

Oh - you're in CA? I was going to offer you a drive by. :) I can try a cell phone picture, but I'm not terribly good at that.

But you have nothng to lose by Velma's. It's just gorgeous. It's also shrub-sized, not tree-sized. So you could frame it with an Acoma or Natchez!! White makes purple show up so much more intensely. :)

C.

Oooo.
I just had a 'piphany.
Velma is beautifully framed by a White Chocolate or Burgundy Cotton, too. Some of the newer varieties are lovely.

Christine