Plants With Purple And Green Leaves

If you want to add drama and color to your garden that lasts all season, look beyond flowers. Plants with purple and green leaves offer vibrant and colorful foliage that creates stunning visual impact. These beauties provide reliable color from spring until fall, making them the backbone of a dynamic landscape.

Their rich hues can make other colors pop, soothe a busy garden, or create a focal point. From deep, almost-black purples to bright magenta veins, there’s a plant for every style. Let’s look at some of the best options for your beds, borders, and containers.

This category includes annuals, perennials, shrubs, and even trees. The purple coloring, caused by pigments called anthocyanins, can cover the entire leaf or appear as veins, edges, or patterns. Here are some top performers.

Perennial Favorites

These plants come back year after year, giving you lasting value.

Coral Bells (Heuchera): A superstar group with varieties like ‘Palace Purple’ (burgundy-green) and ‘Midnight Rose’ (purple with pink speckles). They form neat mounds perfect for edges.
Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum var. pictum): Offers silvery-green fronds with striking purple-red stems and veins. It thrives in shady, damp spots.
Persian Shield (Strobilanthes dyerianus): Often grown as an annual in cooler climates, its leaves are iridescent purple with green veins. It loves heat and humidity.
Bugleweed (Ajuga reptans): A fast-growing ground cover. Varieties like ‘Black Scallop’ have glossy, near-black leaves and send up blue flowers in spring.

Annuals for Instant Color

Use these for a guaranteed burst of color in pots or to fill garden gaps.

Coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides): The king of colorful foliage. Countless varieties feature purple and green combos, like ‘Wizard Coral Sunrise’ or ‘Black Dragon’. They are easy to grow from cuttings.
Ornamental Cabbage & Kale (Brassica oleracea): Their centers swirl with pink, purple, and white, framed by green outer leaves. They actually prefer cool weather, shining in fall and early spring.
Sweet Potato Vine (Ipomoea batatas): The variety ‘Blackie’ has deep purple, almost black, heart-shaped leaves. It’s a vigorous trailer for containers and baskets.

Shrubs and Trees

For larger, permanent structure with colorful leaves.

Purple Smoke Bush (Cotinus coggygria ‘Royal Purple’): A large shrub with rich, plum-purple leaves all summer, turning scarlet in fall. The wispy flower plumes look like smoke.
Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum): Many cultivars, like ‘Bloodgood’ or ‘Purple Emperor’, have finely cut, deep purple-red foliage. They are slow-growing and ideal for small gardens.
Copper Beech (Fagus sylvatica ‘Purpurea’): A majestic large tree with smooth, coppery-purple leaves. It makes a bold statement in a landscape.

How to Care for Purple-Leaved Plants

Most purple-leaved plants have the same basic needs as their green counterparts, with a few key considerations.

Sunlight is Key

The intensity of the purple color often depends on light. Many plants, like purple smoke bush and some coleus, develop their best color in full sun. Without enough light, they may fade to a dull green or brownish hue.

However, some, like coral bells and Japanese painted fern, prefer partial shade, especially in hot climates where their leaves can scorch. Always check the specific plant’s tag for its ideal light conditions.

Soil and Watering Needs

Well-draining soil is crucial for almost all these plants. Soggy roots can lead to rot, especialy in plants like heuchera. Water deeply when the top inch of soil feels dry, but then let it drain completely.

A layer of mulch around the base helps retain moisture and keeps roots cool. It also prevents soil from splashing onto those beautiful leaves.

Fertilizing for Health

You don’t need a special fertilizer. A balanced, slow-release fertilizer applied in early spring is usually sufficient. Over-fertilizing, especially with high-nitrogen formulas, can encourage lots of green growth at the expense of the vibrant purple color.

For container plants, a diluted liquid fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during the growing season works well.

Design Ideas for Your Garden

Using these plants effectively can make your garden look professionally designed.

Create Contrast: Pair purple foliage with plants that have bright green, gold, or silver leaves. The contrast makes both colors stand out. For example, try purple heuchera next to a gold hosta.
Sooth and Blend: Use deep purple plants as a backdrop to make bright flowers like yellow coreopsis or orange marigolds really pop. The purple acts as a neutral, calming the overall look.
Focal Points: A single purple smoke bush or a large pot of purple fountain grass can serve as a stunning centerpiece in a garden bed or on a patio.
Continuous Color: Mix purple foliage plants with perennials that bloom at different times. When flowers fade, the colorful leaves will maintain visual interest.

Common Problems and Solutions

Even tough plants can have issues. Here’s how to handle common ones.

Fading Color: This is usually a sunlight issue. If a sun-loving purple plant turns green, try moving it to a sunnier spot. If a shade plant scorches, give it more protection from afternoon sun.
Leggy Growth: Plants like coleus can become tall and sparse. Pinch off the top set of leaves regularly to encourage bushier, more compact growth. This also prevents them from flowering, which can cause leaf quality to decline.
Pests: Watch for slugs and snails on tender-leaved plants like hostas (some have purple tones) and heuchera. Use organic slug bait or beer traps to protect them. Aphids can sometimes be a problem; a strong spray of water from the hose usually dislodges them.

Propagating Your Favorites

Many purple-leaved plants are easy to multiply, saving you money.

Stem Cuttings (for Coleus, Sweet Potato Vine): In spring or summer, cut a 4-6 inch stem tip just below a leaf node. Remove the lower leaves and place the cutting in water or moist potting mix. Roots should form in 1-2 weeks.
Division (for Heuchera, Ajuga): In early spring or fall, dig up the plant. Gently pull or cut the root ball into smaller sections, each with some roots and leaves. Replant immediately and water well.

FAQ

Why are some of my plant’s leaves green instead of purple?
Insufficient sunlight is the most common cause for sun-loving varieties. For others, it might be over-fertilization or the plant simply reverting to its orginal green form. Ensure it gets the correct light exposure.

Can I grow purple-leaf plants indoors?
Yes! Many, like certain coleus, Persian shield, and purple passion plant (Gynura aurantiaca), make excellent houseplants. Place them near a bright window where they get plenty of indirect light to maintain their color.

Do these plants have flowers?
Most do, but the flowers are often secondary to the foliage. Some gardeners pinch off the flower buds on plants like coleus to direct more energy into leaf growth. Others, like coral bells, have delicate, attractive flowers on tall stems.

Are purple-leaf plants harder to grow?
Not generally. They have the same basic needs as other plants: proper light, water, and soil. The main difference is paying attention to light to ensure their color stays vibrant. Once you have that right, they are just as easy.

Adding plants with purple and green leaves is a simple way to make your garden more exciting. With so many types to choose from, you can enjoy their vibrant and colorful foliage in every corner of your outdoor space. Start with one or two that suit your conditions, and you’ll likely be hooked on the depth and drama they provide.