Purple is not only one of the most exquisite colors out there, but it’s also the symbol of luxury and elegance in the language of flowers. While there are plenty of flower species that come in the color purple, you might be wondering about trees that bloom purple flowers.
Lucky for you, there’s a surprising variety of trees that will grow purple flowers in various hues that range from the lightest lavender to the deepest purple shades.
In today’s article, we’ll take a quick look at those trees as well as the ideal conditions to grow them.
1. Jacaranda
The Jacaranda tree is one of the most popular examples of trees that bloom with purple flowers. The deciduous tree belongs to the Bignoniaceae family, which is originally native to the tropical regions in South America.
This one is actually a relatively large tree, as it grows anywhere between 25 to 50 feet high and spreads to around 30 feet. It also lives up to around 50 years but can last up to 200 years with good care.
The Jacaranda tree has two blooming seasons in the year. The first is in late spring and early summer, particularly May or June while the other is in the early months of the fall.
The gorgeous tree provides a lot of shade with its clusters of bluish purple flowers and is surprisingly easy to maintain as long as you have relatively warm weather and well drained sandy soil.
2. Crape Myrtle
The Cape Myrtle (also known as Crepe Myrtle) is classified as a large shrub that belongs to the Lythraceae family. This one is originally native to various regions in East Asia, particularly China and Japan.
The reason why this plant earned its name is that its leaves look like myrtles. However, the plant’s scientific name is “Lagerstroemia indica”.
What’s impressive about this plant is that it boasts some of the loveliest blooms in trees with a wide range of colors, including various shades of purple, lavender, lilac, and deep mauve.
The blooming time may vary depending on where you live, as it can start blooming from late spring to mid summer and continue to bloom until early fall.
This one is relatively smaller than the Jacaranda, but is still decently sized, standing at a maximum height of 25 feet and a spread of around 20 feet. The plant is flexible when it comes to soil quality but it requires a lot of water, so it’s ideal for regions where it rains often.
3. Chaste Tree
Despite being called “Chaste Tree” and looking like a typical tree, this one is actually classified as a deciduous shrub that belongs to the Verbena family.
The botanical name of this plant is “Vitex agnus-castus”, and it’s originally native to the coastal regions of the Mediterranean. This is why it’s a hardy tree that can thrive in well draining dry soil with little watering.
The Chaste Tree has finger-looking grayish green leaves. While the leaves look rather dull, the bluish violet flowers that this plant blooms make up for it.
Not only that, but the shrub also has a remarkable scent that is produced by both the flowers and the leaves.
The blooming season of this tree is relatively short when compared to some other options on the list, as it only extends from early summer to early fall.
While the plant typically dies in severe cold winters, it’ll typically regrow quickly after the weather warms up.
Read more: 12 Succulents That Grow Flowers
4. Texas Mountain Laurel
Mountain Laurel is a shrub that comes in a wide variety of species. While most of them will bloom with white or light pink flowers, the Texas Mountain Laurel variety will produce some iconic purple flowers.
This one is also known as “Texas Mescalbean”, and botanically as “Dermatophyllum secundiflorum”. As the name suggests, the small tree is native to southwestern Texas and northern Mexico.
Rather than blooming a single flower, this shrub will produce various clusters that are around 3 to 7 inches long. The flowers are usually in bloom around mid March to early April and will attract a lot of butterflies and pollination bees to your yard.
Despite being remarkably showy, you have to be careful while dealing with this plant because it can be poisonous if ingested.
5. Desert Willow
Desert willow, botanically known as “Chilopsis linearis”, is another misnomer on the list because it’s not exactly a willow. Instead, it’s a shrub with willow-like leaves that belongs to the Bignoniaceae family.
The Desert Willow is prized for its amazing looks and showy flowers that typically look like trumpets.
The plant comes in various species, so it can bloom in different colors, including purple, lilac, pink, violet, and magenta.
In terms of size, the Desert Willow is not huge, as it can only reach a height of around 18 feet and a width of around 18 to 20 feet.
Desert Willows are native to Central America, so it requires well draining soil with medium moisture and full sun exposure.
6. Hibiscus Tree
Hibiscus is a major genus of flower plants of the Malvaceae family that includes hundreds of different species in addition to man-developed cultivars and hybrids.
For that reason, some of the species of the Hibiscus tree are perennial while others are annual. Not only that, but the plant also blooms in a wide variety of different colors depending on its species.
Among these different species, there are a few that will bloom with purple leaves, such as Hibiscus syriacus, which is originally native to East Asia, particularly Korea and China.
Unlike other trees on the list, this one is relatively small, standing as high as 12 feet, and spreads to around 10 feet.
The flowers of this tree are cepe-shaped with light purple to violet hues and sweet nectar that attracts a lot of bees and hummingbirds when they bloom in the summer.
7. Purple Robe Locust Tree
Locust trees include a wide variety of flowering species that belong to the Fabaceae family. The most popular ones are relatively white.
However, the Purple Robe Locust tree is one of the few examples that will bloom with purple flowers.
This deciduous tree is characterized by its reddish green leaves and large size, as it grows to around 40 feet tall, twice as much as a Jacaranda tree.
In spring, the Purple Robe Locust Tree will produce purple colored flowers that are quite similar to wisteria and have a unique fragrance that attracts hummingbirds and bees.
These trees are also quite hardy, as they’re resistant to drought and excessive salt content in the soil as long as you keep them in full sun, but they thrive when the soil is a little moist.
Related: 9 Small Flowers That Look Like Sunflowers
8. Dogwood (Purple Glory Variety)
Dogwood is another tree to consider if you’re looking for a woody flowering plant. While common dogwood will usually bloom with white flowers, the “Purple Glory” variety is known for its vibrant purple color.
The best part about Dogwood trees is that their leaves are also colored, so you get to enjoy the colorful scenery all year round!
The plant usually grows up to 20 feet high and spreads to around 15 to 20 feet, so it’s ideal for large backyards that require plenty of shade.
With that said, make sure that there aren’t other large trees around because this one requires plenty of sunlight exposure.
9. Magnolia Tree (Royal Purple Variety)
Another tree that also makes brilliant flowers but is generally pink is the Magnolia Tree.
However, selective breeding has developed various cultivars that are actually purple, and the most successful one is the “Royal Purple”, also known botanically as “Magnolia x soulangeana”
This tree grows to a surprisingly large size, reaching up to 30 feet tall when properly maintained in a well draining acidic soil and with full sun exposure.
This unique variety blooms in summer and produces cup shaped flowers that are deep purple at the bottom and fades as it goes upward.
10. Princess Flower Tree
This evergreen perennial bush is originally native to South America and is scientifically known as “Tibouchina urvilleana” of the Melastomataceae Family.
As you can see, this plant is named after the beautiful flower that it produces during the blooming season in spring, which extends to summer as well as early fall. In addition to the Princess Flower Tree, this one is also known as the “Glory Bush”.
The Princess flower tree grows to around 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It typically blooms remarkably elegant 5-petal flowers with shades of lavender and purple.
Although the flowers are quite delicate, the tree itself is surprisingly hardy and can handle drought very well as long as it gets ample exposure to full sunlight and acidic soil rich with nutrients.
Wrap Up: Trees That Bloom Purple Flowers
With that said, you now know more about the different types of trees that bloom purple flowers to decorate your backyard garden or add a touch of nobility and royalty to your property.
As you can see, there are plenty of options that can fit these criteria, and luckily, most of them are very easy to grow and take care of!