If you’re looking for a way to add a pop of color to your garden or landscape, look no further than trees with purple flowers! Not only are these trees vibrant, but they can also be low maintenance and long-lasting.
Read on to learn more about the different types of trees that bloom with stunning purple flowers and how to select one for your outdoor space.
Which tree with purple flowers will become your new favorite?
There are almost too many purple plants to consider. And each one is more extravagant than the last.
Let’s take a closer look!
What Kind of Tree Turns Purple?
Purple is a color that brings richness and beauty to any landscape. Several trees and shrubs turn purple during the fall season, adding breathtaking color and visual interest to your outdoor space. Let’s look at some of the most popular purple-hued trees that grow in yards across the country.
And the world!
1. Crape Myrtle
Here are our favorite trees with purple flowers. The crape myrtle! We believe crape myrtle are some of the best-looking trees on Earth. Their violet-to-purple foliage is stunning. They can grow as shrubs or trees and reach around nine to 25 feet tall. We’ve also heard of older crape myrtle trees growing taller – upwards of 40 feet! Crape myrtle trees are famously easy to cultivate. They prefer weekly watering – but they can also tolerate drought.
The crape myrtle tree is one of the most attractive trees that turn purple in the fall. It has beautiful white or pinkish-red flowers in clusters during the summer months. Then – its foliage turns a stunning shade of deep purple as winter approaches. The crape myrtle tree is native to Asia and is perfect for landscaping due to its beauty and relatively easy maintenance.
2. Jacaranda Trees
Jacaranda trees are beautiful trees with purple flowers native to South America. Since they’re South American natives, they prefer growing in above-freezing temperatures. During the summer, jacaranda trees display breathtaking, two-inch violet blossoms that look like bells! These trees are also surprisingly thick. Jacaranda trees might reach 40 feet tall and 60 feet wide and are famous for growing as broad as they are tall. While they are exquisite and showy, we can’t recommend them for homesteads with limited space.
If you’re looking for something more exotic, consider planting a jacaranda tree in your yard or garden.
This fast-growing evergreen reaches up to 40 feet tall and blooms with clusters of trumpet-shaped purple flowers each May or June. This tree loves full sun and will thrive in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11 as long as temperatures don’t drop below 15 degrees Fahrenheit during winter.
3. Chaste Tree
The chaste tree comes from Western Asia and the Mediterranean. It also grows throughout North America. They possess gorgeous purple flowers and make a lovely addition to a beautiful garden. They’re surprisingly easy to grow and are pest and disease-resistant. However, they are picky about soil types and prefer a well-drained growing area. We read on the University of Florida Extension blog that chaste tree leaves resemble Cannabis sativa leaves due partly to their palmate appearance.
The chaste tree is another popular choice for homeowners looking to add color to their landscape. This small tree has small white flowers during summertime, which give way to green foliage in autumn before turning a deep shade of purple at winter’s end. It’s an adaptable plant that grows well even in dry climates and can reach heights up to 15 feet tall when fully grown.
4. Purple Lily Magnolias
Lily magnolias are spectacular deciduous shrubs or trees with purple flowers. They’re a relatively compact tree compared to others on our list and only grow to around eight to twelve feet. Their flowers are a deep purple or magenta, and their leaves turn a lovely orange-to-yellow hue during the cold autumn weather. We’re also glad to learn that lily magnolias typically don’t face significant disease or pest problems.
Purple lily magnolias are also known as autumn lilies due to their gorgeous display of color in the autumn months. These trees have large, fragrant white flowers during springtime that give way to deep green foliage during summer before turning a brilliant shade of purple come autumn.
The purple lily magnolia is a hardy tree that can survive temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit. They’re perfect for colder climates! It will retain its light purple color long through the year.
5. Desert Willow
Desert willow trees are adorable Texas native trees with trumpet-shaped violet flowers. At first glance, the desert willow flowers look massive. But upon closer inspection, you’ll notice that their flowers form tightly in large groups with five or more. We’re also happy to report that hummingbirds, one of our favorite garden visitors, love desert willow trees. As their name suggests, desert willow trees are also tremendously drought-tolerant.
The desert willow tree is known for its vibrant yellow or orange-colored flowers. It might also turn a stunning shade of purple when the temperature drops.
It’s a deciduous tree that grows best in sunny areas with well-drained soil. And it can reach heights up to 30 feet tall when mature. Its delicate leaves will catch your eye when they turn from light green during summertime into dark purple come fall.
6. Purple Orchid Tree
Purple orchid trees have lovely violet and purple flowers. And the leaves resemble butterfly wings! While the flowers look breathtakingly beautiful, we’ve read from multiple sources that purple orchid trees are surprisingly messy and create lots of litter! The litter comes mainly from massive 12-inch seedpods that appear after the tree blossoms – the seedpods eventually fall onto the ground. Even though purple orchid trees make a mess, we think the beautiful flowers are worth the inconvenience.
The purple orchid tree (Bauhinia purpurea) is a hardy tree native to India, which produces showy, orchid-like blooms throughout the summer months. In autumn, its leaves turn a deep purplish hue, providing a lovely contrast to its bright pink flowers.
This tree grows best in full sun and well-drained soil and is tolerant of drought conditions.
7. Eastern Redbud Tree
Eastern redbuds are medium-sized and pretty-looking deciduous trees or shrubs that grow to around 20 to 30 feet. They also have beautiful, dense branches and are popular understory trees. You might see Eastern redbud trees with canopies broader than they are tall. Even though redbud trees are relatively short, their leaves are massive! Redbud tree leaves grow to approximately three to five inches wide. You may notice that the leaves look like hearts. They’re popular in eastern US states. Eastern redbuds are also Oklahoma’s state tree!
The Eastern redbud tree is an excellent floral choice if you want to add color to your garden in early spring. This deciduous tree grows up to 30 feet tall and blooms with clusters of pink or lavender-purple flowers each April. The foliage will turn golden yellow in the fall, creating an eye-catching contrast against the deep purple flowers.
It’s best grown in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 9 and prefers full sun and well-drained soil.
8. Royal Purple Smoke Tree
The royal purple smoke tree is a low-to-the-ground deciduous shrub with lovely violet and purple flowers. Royal purple smoke trees grow to around twelve to fifteen feet high. These trees came from Holland and then got brought to the United States in 1953. The leaves are a lovely maroon color during spring and may darken to a scarlet hue during autumn. The royal purple smoke tree earned its name because it resembles purple smoke when blossoming.
The purple smoke tree (Cotinus coggygria) is an ornamental shrub with attractive foliage and clusters of fluffy flowers in late spring or early summer. During autumn, its leaves turn shades of red, orange, yellow, and purple, giving it a smoky appearance. This multi-stemmed shrub grows best in full sun and moist but well-drained soil.
9. Cherry Tree
Here’s one of the most famous trees with purple flowers. The Japanese cherry tree – or the cherry blossom tree! The Japanese cherry tree offers spectacular violet colors in the springtime. It’s medium-sized, and its mature height can reach 25 feet high. Japanese cherry trees are famous for their Japanese, Chinese, and South Korean origin. The only problem with Japanese cherry trees is choosing the best variety, as several noteworthy Japanese cherry tree cultivars exist. Mt. Fuji, Ukon, and Shogetsu are some of our favorites.
The cherry tree (Prunus serrulata) is one of the most popular trees for landscaping because it produces gorgeous white flowers in spring, followed by bright red fruit in late summer or early fall. As temperatures drop during autumn, its foliage turns various shades of yellow, orange, burgundy, and purple before falling off for winter.
The Japanese cherry tree offers gorgeous purple flowers, as featured in the image above.
Cherry trees do best in moist but well-drained soil and full sun or partial shade exposure.
10. Royal Empress Tree
The empress trees are bedazzling deciduous trees with gorgeous purple flowers. These trees help honor Princess Anna Paulowna. (Princess Anna was a Russian princess born in 1795.) We concur that these lovely floriferous specimens are fitting for a princess, queen, or empress. Some homesteaders may also refer to empress trees as foxglove trees, as their leaves resemble foxgloves.
The royal empress tree (Paulownia tomentosa) is an exotic ornamental tree with stunning bell-shaped flowers. It’s native to China but can grow worldwide in many climates. It has large, glossy leaves which are dark green during the summer months but eventually fall off as the winter approaches.
It grows best in full sun with well-drained soils but can tolerate drier conditions too. Mature trees can reach heights of 45 feet within just ten years!
11. Fragrant Lilac
Here’s an attractive shrub or tree with purple flowers. Fragrant lilac! Homesteaders have grown lilacs in the US for hundreds of years – at least as far back as the 1700s. It’s easy to admire these lovely shrubs for their violet blossoms. But lilac shrubs aren’t only purple! You can also find lilacs with cream, rose, lavender, or pink blooms. One thing all lilacs have in common, however, is their lovely sweet fragrance. Most lilacs are easy to grow if you offer them well-drained soil and four to six hours of daily sunlight.
Fragrant lilacs are one of the most beloved flowering shrubs in North America. We love them too! These beautiful plants produce clusters of sweetly scented flowers in varying shades with deep purple, lavender, white, and pink blossoms.
The blooms appear in late spring or early summer and last several weeks before fading away. In addition to their captivating color, fragrant lilacs also boast glossy green foliage that provides a noticeable contrast against their flowers.
Read More!
12. Korean Lilac
Here’s one of our favorite deciduous privacy screens for gardeners. Korean lilac! Frank Meyer discovered these little-known beauties growing in a Chinese garden in 1909. For that reason, some homesteaders even today refer to Korean lilacs as Meyer lilacs. They have lovely violet flowers and make excellent ornamental shrubs, hedges, or garden features.
Also known as Syringa oblata, Korean lilac is a hardy shrub with dazzling dark purple blossoms in late spring or early summer. These flowers have a spicy floral scent similar to the fragrance of traditional lilacs but much more intense. Korean lilac is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a more dramatic effect in your garden or landscape.
13. Japanese Maple Tree
One of our editors has a lovely Japanese maple tree in their yard. It’s one of their favorite plants! We read that Japanese maples survive best in growing zones five through six. We agree! Our editor is in icy cold New England, and their tree has withstood many Nor’easters, storms, and bombogenesis snow squalls. The tree has (slight) bark damage – but has survived for at least ten years. They look enchanting during the spring and summer. During the fall, the leaves change color slightly and fall off in the winter. Japanese maples are medium-sized trees, and we read from one of our favorite gardening sources that they require around 24 to 60 feet to plant successfully.
Japanese maple trees are striking deciduous trees with purple, red, or burgundy foliage that gradually turns brilliant shades of red, orange, or yellow throughout the year. If you’ve never seen these trees, their leaves are beautiful.
During the winter, they lose their leaves. Its leaves return in full force during spring and become darker shades of burgundy (or purple) during summer. Japanese maples can reach up to 25 feet tall and have a surprisingly wide (and luxurious) breadth, making them ideal for medium-sized yards and gardens.
14. Rose of Sharon
Here’s an easy way to grow violet flowers without requiring too much space. Rose of Sharon, also called Sharon shrubs! Rose of Sharon shrubs grow upright and reach around eight to twelve feet. They love growing in warm climates and are markedly deer-resistant. Sharon shrubs also have reputations as being easy to transplant due to the shallow growing nature of their roots. They make excellent container plants for your deck, patio, or garden.
This tropical-looking tree (Hibiscus syriacus) has lush green leaves with bright pinkish-purple flowers during the spring and summer, followed by eye-catching dark brown fruits in the fall. It also has many names – including the rose of Sharon or hibiscus trees.
The Sharon rose hibiscus tree is perfect if you want added color to your garden without taking up too much space since it typically only grows between 5 and 10 feet tall at maturity.
15. Hydrangea Trees
We love hydrangea trees for deep purple hues of blue, pink, white, purple, and violet. But we also admit that with thousands of hydrangea cultivars, hydrangea shrubs are a tad confusing – especially if you want to categorize them by color! Here’s what we mean. One fascinating nuance about hydrangeas is that the aluminum content in soil and soil pH both play a role in their flower colors. We also read that hydrangeas growing in acidic soils will tend toward blue and those in alkaline conditions tend to turn pink. If you want purple hydrangea flowers, try growing them in neutral soil between acidic and alkaline.
Hydrangeas are well known for their poofy and spacious showy blossoms in shades of blue, pink, white, and even purple, depending on soil acidity levels.
But did you know they also come in a tree form?
Hydrangea trees can reach heights up to 8 feet tall and feature dense foliage along with stunning blooms throughout the year, making them a great addition to any garden or landscape!
16. Purple Robe Locust
Wait until you see these little-known yet stunning deciduous trees with purple flowers. We’re talking about purple robe locust trees! Purple robe locust trees are one of our favorite black locust tree cultivars. Their pinkish-purple flowers blossom around May to June and have a sweet aroma. The pinkish-violet flowers also contrast magnificently with the purple robe’s black or dark brown bark. You might expect a purple robe locust tree to reach up to 40 feet high and grow approximately two to three feet yearly.
The purple robe locust tree has deep green leaves, dark brown bark, and lovely violet flowers. Its flowers bloom from late spring to early summer and have a pinkish-purple hue. This tree grows surprisingly fast and is considered an excellent shade tree for parks or luxuriant gardens.
17. Silk Floss Tree
Here’s another lovely tree with purple flowers. The silk floss tree! Silk floss trees have show-stopping purple flowers. Similar to chaste trees, silk floss trees have noticeably palmate leaves. But unlike most trees with purple flowers, silk floss trees have thick spines on their trunk! The spines are a defensive mechanism and help prevent animals from climbing. However, you might find that the spines get less prominent as the tree matures. Expect a mature silk floss tree to reach up to 60 feet high.
The silk floss tree is native to South America and is known for its unique fluffy white and pink flowers. These flowers bloom in mid-summer and have a subtle purple hue that catches the light beautifully when in full bloom. The trunk and branches of this tree have spines that give it an interesting texture when viewed up close.
18. Mountain Laurel
What a delightful sight for any gardener! Here you see a spicebush swallowtail butterfly visiting some of our favorite trees with purple flowers – mountain laurels! There are a few features we appreciate about mountain laurels. Pollinators like butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds love these purple evergreen trees! Mountain laurel also emits a powerful sweet aroma that many say reminds them of grape-flavored Kool-aid. Mountain laurels are also compact and only reach around ten feet high – making them a perfect fit for small or medium-sized gardens. However, we also urge caution! We’ve read from multiple sources that mountain laurels contain toxic components harmful to livestock, dogs, cats, horses, and humans.
Mountain laurel is native to North America and flourishes from Virginia down south through Florida and into Texas. The leaves are usually green but can sometimes turn reddish-purple if exposed to enough sun throughout the year. The blooms range from white to pinkish-purple depending on the variety. The diverse color array makes mountain laurel an attractive addition to any garden!
19. Dogwood
Dogwoods are famous for their beautiful white and purplish flowers and fruit. Dogwoods have excellent fall foliage that usually turns red to slightly purple. These are medium-sized trees that probably won’t exceed thirty feet tall. However, identifying the exact dogwood specimen may prove tricky as there are nearly 100 dogwood cultivars. We’ve read from multiple trustworthy sources that flowering dogwood trees prefer growing in shady spots.
Dogwood is a tremendously popular ornamental tree cultivated for centuries. It produces small white flowers in the spring and summer, but its most distinctive feature is its magenta to purple foliage during the fall. Dogwood trees take on a beautiful violet hue when illuminated by the sun.
20. Lavender Twist Weeping Redbud
There are at least dozens of redbud tree cultivars – some are weeping, and some grow upright. The Lavender weeping twist is one of our favorites. They sport beautiful violet to pink pea-shaped flowers and grow up to ten feet if trained. But avoid any excessive or extra watering. Redbud trees are famous for preferring moist soil, yet they demand proper drainage.
This elegant tree is perfect for adding a touch of drama to your garden. Its branches hang gracefully and produce clusters of lavender-pink flowers in the springtime. During the fall season, this tree’s leaves turn a breathtaking dark purple color that will bring a sense of sophistication to any outdoor space.
21. Royalty Crabapple
There are several good reasons to grow royalty crabapples, as they have outstanding features for gardeners. The first reason is their showy and spectacular red, pink, or magenta flowers. Royalty crabapples almost always look great planted along any woodland garden design and add a chic, 15-foot-wide flowering canopy to outdoor spaces. Small garden visitors like songbirds also love snacking on royalty crabapple fruit. Your entire garden will thank you for cultivating them! (We read that you can turn crabapple fruit into preserves – but we’ve never tried the recipe. Let us know if you have!)
This small flowering tree has delicate pink (or magenta) blossoms that appear in early spring, followed by dark orange to yellow leaves throughout summer and fall. In addition, this species of crabapple produces attractive red fruits, which add even more visual interest to any landscape design.
22. Purple Wisteria Tree
Wisteria isn’t a tree with purple buds. Not exactly. Instead, wisteria is a deciduous shrub or vine perfect for urban gardens seeking fragrant flowers and showy blooms. It’s also a floriferous vine that makes a stunning privacy screen. Wisteria cultivators will also enjoy aromatic flowers that smell like grape bubblegum! Wisteria is perfect for climbing along your garden trellis or arbor. We’ve read from several trustworthy horticultural sources that wisteria can also get trained into a tree. But it will require ongoing pruning.
We saved one of our favorite trees with purple leaves for last. The purple wisteria tree adds a dramatic effect when it blooms with cascading clusters of fragrant purple flowers each spring.
As one of the showiest flowering trees, this deciduous variety reaches heights up to 25 feet tall when fully mature and can live anywhere from 15-20 years if adequately cared for and cultivated. Plant it in full sun and well-drained soil in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 9 for optimal growth rates.
What Kind of Tree Has Purple Buds?
If you’re looking for a tree with purple buds, the most popular option is the purple-leaf plum (Prunus cerasifera). It’s a small to medium-sized tree that’s attractive all year round. In spring, you’ll notice beautiful deep reddish-purple blossoms. And in summer, dark green glossy foliage. This tree also produces edible fruit, usually ripening to dark red by mid or late summer.
Purple leaf plum is an eye-catching choice for gardeners looking for a showy and easy-to-care-for feature tree in their landscape.
But as you now know, this is just one of the many beautiful trees with purple foliage or buds. No matter what sorts of colorful trees you want to add to your landscape, there’s sure to be a native tree that will fit perfectly into your landscape – and add that perfect pop of purple.
We already listed the princess tree. It’s also called the empress tree. However, it’s one of our favorite trees with purple flowers – so we decided to discuss it twice! We’re also tremendous advocates of this woody ornamental with showy purple flowers. While it has floriferous blossoms, many fear that princess trees are too aggressive and invasive. They’re famous for growing and thriving in tumultuously acidic or rocky soils. Princess trees’ adaptive nature leads them to outcompete desirable shrubs and potentially rare plants that only grow under unique conditions.
Conclusion
Purple leaves add abundant joy to your homestead, yard, and garden.
And not only for those passing by!
These purple-leaved beauties also feed friendly garden pollinators, butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
They might also offer shelter to your friendly songbirds or garden friends.
So, while we can’t decide which violet-colored tree we light the most, planting any of them would likely be a beneficial endeavor. For you and your garden!
What about you?
Which purple leaf-bearing tree is your favorite?
Or maybe you know of a gorgeous purple tree that we overlooked?
We’d love to hear from you either way.
Thanks for reading.
And have a beautiful day!
Rebekah Pierce started a small farm with her husband in 2016 in upstate New York, near her native Adirondack Mountains. With a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in special education, she has been writing professionally since 2017, but only recently left the world of teaching to pursue writing and farming full time. She now writes full-time in the education, business, finance, and of course, homesteading and farming niches.
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