If you’re looking for a pop of color that doesn’t demand constant attention, you’re in the right place. Succulent plants with purple flowers offer a stunning, vibrant display with famously easy-care routines. They bring a unique, almost magical hue to your windowsill, patio, or garden bed, proving that low maintenance doesn’t mean low impact.
These plants combine the sculptural beauty of succulent foliage with the cheerful charm of purple blooms. From deep violets to soft lavenders, the color purple in the garden is often associated with calm, creativity, and a touch of royalty. Best of all, you can enjoy this spectacle without being a gardening expert.
Succulent Plants With Purple Flowers
This group includes a wonderful variety of species, each with its own character. Some form neat rosettes, others trail beautifully from hanging baskets, and a few stand tall like colorful spires. What unites them is their drought-tolerant nature and their fabulous floral show.
Here are some of the most popular and reliable choices to consider:
* Echeveria ‘Perle von Nürnberg’: Perhaps the most famous purple succulent. Its rosette is a dusty lavender-gray, and it sends up arching stems with coral-pink flowers that have a purple undertone. It’s a real showstopper.
* Kalanchoe blossfeldiana: Widely available, this succulent is often sold as a gift plant. It produces huge clusters of small, vibrant purple flowers that can last for weeks and even months with proper care.
* Sedum dasyphyllum ‘Major’ (Corsican Stonecrop): A fantastic ground-cover or spiller. Its tiny, plump leaves have a blue-purple tint, and in summer, it’s covered with delicate pale pinkish-purple star-shaped flowers.
* Graptopetalum pentandrum ‘Superbum’ (Ghost Plant): Known for its beautiful, opalescent lavender-pink foliage. Its flowers are star-shaped, yellow with red tips, but the plant’s overall purple-tinged appearance earns it a spot on this list.
* Sempervivum (Hens and Chicks): Many varieties of this cold-hardy succulent produce lovely pink or purple flowers. The mother plant (the hen) sends up a tall flower stalk, blooms, and then dies, making room for its offsets (the chicks).
* Lavender Scallops (Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi): Features scallop-edged leaves that develop a beautiful lavender blush on the edges, especially with sun stress. Its bell-shaped flowers are a reddish-purple color.
Essential Care Guide for Purple Blooming Succulents
The key to success with these plants is understanding their natural habitat. They typically come from arid regions with bright light and infrequent rain. Mimicking those conditions in your home is simpler than you might think.
Light: The Secret to Vibrant Color and Flowers
Bright light is non-negotiable. It’s what keeps their shape compact, intensifies the purple hues in their leaves, and most importantly, triggers flowering.
Aim for at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight daily. A south or west-facing window is ideal indoors. If your light is low, the plant will become “leggy,” stretching out for light, and it likely won’t flower. If you notice stretching or fading color, it’s a clear sign to find a sunnier spot. Sometimes a grow light can be a big help.
Watering: The “Soak and Dry” Method
Overwatering is the single biggest cause of problems. Succulents store water in their leaves, so they prefer a cycle of thorough watering followed by complete drought.
Here’s the fail-proof method:
1. Check the soil. Stick your finger an inch into the pot. Is it completely dry?
2. Water thoroughly. When dry, take your plant to the sink and water it until excess water flows freely out the drainage hole. This ensures the entire root ball gets moisture.
3. Let it drain. Never let the plant sit in a saucer of water.
4. Wait. Do not water again until the soil is completely dry once more. This could be every 7-14 days, but it varies with season, light, and climate.
Soil and Potting: The Foundation of Health
They need fast-draining soil to prevent root rot. Regular potting soil holds too much moisture.
Always use a specialized cactus and succulent mix. You can make your own by mixing standard potting soil with perlite or coarse sand (about a 50/50 ratio). The pot must have a drainage hole. Terracotta pots are excellent because they are porous and help soil dry out faster.
Feeding for Fantastic Flowers
While not heavy feeders, a little nutrient boost can encourage more prolific blooming. Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half-strength, or a fertilizer formulated specifically for cacti and succulents.
Feed only during the active growing season (spring and summer), about once a month. Do not fertilize in fall and winter when the plants are resting.
Encouraging Your Succulent to Flower
Sometimes a succulent seems healthy but refuses to bloom. Here are a few tips to encourage it:
* Maximize Light: This is the most critical factor. Ensure it’s getting the brightest light possible.
* Respect the Dormancy Period: Many succulents need a cool, dry rest period in winter to set buds. Reduce watering significantly and keep them in a cooler spot (but away from frost).
* Avoid Over-potting: Being slightly root-bound can sometimes stimulate a plant to flower as a reproductive response.
Be Patient: Some succulents, like many Sempervivum, only flower when they are several years old, as a final act in their lifecycle.
Common Problems and Simple Solutions
Even easy-care plants can have occasional issues. Here’s how to troubleshoot:
* Leggy, Stretched Growth: Not enough light. Move to a brighter location. You can also behead the plant and replant the top rosette.
* Soft, Mushy, Yellowing Leaves: Classic sign of overwatering. Stop watering immediately. Check the roots for rot (black and mushy). If present, cut away all rot, let the plant callous for a few days, and repot in fresh, dry soil.
* Brown, Crispy Leaves: Usually underwatering or sunburn. If the soil is bone dry and leaves are shriveled, give it a good soak. If the brown spots are on the top leaves facing the sun, provide slight afternoon shade.
* No Flowers: Revisit the “Encouraging Flowers” section above. Insufficient light is the most common culprit.
* Pests: Watch for mealybugs (look like tiny cotton balls) or aphids. Wipe them off with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol or use a insecticidal soap.
Design Ideas for Your Purple Succulents
These versatile plants can be used in countless ways to brighten your space.
Stunning Containers: Plant a single, large Echeveria as a focal point in a simple pot. The contrast between the purple plant and a bright white or terracotta pot is striking.
Living Arrangements: Combine different purple succulents with complementary colors. Try Sedum dasyphyllum (purple-tinged) with a blue Senecio serpens and a green Crassula for a textural, colorful dish garden.
Vertical Gardens: Many trailing purple succulents, like certain Sedums, are perfect for living walls or picture frames.
Outdoor Garden Accents: In warmer climates (or during summer), use cold-tolerant Sempervivums or Sedums to add purple pops in rock gardens, between paving stones, or in dry, sunny borders.
Propagation: Make More Free Plants
One of the joys of succulents is how easy they are to propagate. You can create new plants from leaves, stem cuttings, or offsets.
For most rosette-forming types like Echeveria:
1. Gently twist a healthy leaf from the stem, ensuring you get the entire base.
2. Let the leaf end callous over for 2-3 days in a dry, shady spot.
3. Place the calloused leaf on top of dry succulent soil.
4. Mist the soil lightly every few days once tiny roots and a new rosette begin to form. Avoid direct sun during this stage.
5. Once the mother leaf has withered and the new plant is established, treat it as a mature succulent.
FAQ About Purple Flowering Succulents
Q: What is the most purple succulent?
A: For consistently purple foliage, Echeveria ‘Perle von Nürnberg’ and Graptopetalum ‘Superbum’ are top contenders. Their leaves are purple year-round, especially with good light.
Q: How often do these succulents bloom?
A: It varies by species. Kalanchoe blossfeldiana can bloom annually for months. Many Echeverias and Sedums flower once a year, typically in spring or summer. Some, like certain Sempervivums, bloom once at the end of their life.
Q: Can I grow these indoors?
A: Absolutely! The key is providing enough light. A very bright south-facing window is essential for health and flowering. Rotate pots regularly for even growth.
Q: Are purple succulents more difficult to care for?
A: Not at all. Their care is identical to other succulents. The purple color is often a response to sun exposure, not a sign of special needs. Sometimes they need a bit more light to maintain their vibrant color.
Q: My succulent’s flowers died, what should I do?
A: Simply snip off the spent flower stalk near the base of the plant using clean scissors. This keeps the plant looking tidy and allows it to put energy back into leaf growth.
Adding succulent plants with purple flowers to your collection is a rewarding way to enjoy vibrant color with minimal fuss. By following the simple rules of plenty of light, careful watering, and the right soil, you’ll be rewarded with resilient plants that surprise you with their beautiful blooms season after season. They are a perfect choice for busy plant lovers or anyone starting their gardening journey.