Growing Purple Flowering Trees
Below you will find a list of Trees from our plant database that are purple flowering. If you click any of the photos, you will see a Virtual Plant Tag that may contain plant descriptions, usage suggestions and a link to where you can buy that plant for your landscaping. The concept of a tree can be difficult to define since different people might consider the same plant a broadleaf evergreen, needled evergreen, conifer, bush or shrub.
Uses for these trees vary by variety, and may also thrive in partial shade, partial sun, full shade or full sun. These trees may do equally well in wet soil, average moisture or dry conditions.
Our focused search engine that sorts the data includes anything relevant. This can be confusing on pages like these because plants with flowers with purple centers or flowers that start purple but fade to yellow and similar situations are included.
Suggested native trees with purple, lilac, rosy-purple or magenta blooms include: Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) and improved cultivars, Mescal Bean which is also known as Texas Mountain Laurel or Sophora secundiflora has lacy foliage texture with blue and purple spring flowers.
For purple blooming trees, Magnolias are without equal. Spring wouldn't be spring without Lily (M. liliiflora); The Little Girls Series of hybrid Magnolias in shades of purples and reds will mature to only 15-20'; early blooming Sargent (M. sargentii) and Zen (M. zenii); Saucer (M. x. soulangiana) that is nicely heat tolerant into northern Florida; and too many cultivars to mention individually from x veitchii, Felix Jury, Gresham, x loebneri, and x brooklynensis hybrids from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
As long as the plants aren't invasive, non-native or introduced plants can add a new look to the landscape garden. Europe and Asia have given American gardeners numerous lovely purple flowering trees that include: many lovely Flowering Crabapples (Malus) and hybrid cultivars, Chinese Redbud (Cercis chinensis), Crapemyrtle, a summer garden staple for Zone 6 and south (Lagerstroemia) has vibrant purple selections that have increased hardiness with recent breeding advances, Japanese Camellia, Judas Tree or Mediterranean Redbud (Cercis siliquastrum), Rose of Sharon or Shrub Althea (Hibiscus syriacus).
Trees with purple flowers add a special grace to a landscape. The strong, vivid purple color can be enjoyed throughout the season and blends well with lavender, orchid, lilac, violet, white, blue, pink and looks particularly striking mixed with green and white variegated foliage on shrubs, groundcovers and evergreens and vines.
