28 Most Popular Types of Purple Flowers

Purple is one of the most popular and vibrant hues in gardens and design. Whether a home gardener seeks a perennial to brighten a sunny border, a florist hunts show-stopping blooms for striking bouquets, or an event planner curates a regal wedding palette, purple flowers deliver beauty, intrigue, and whimsy. These elegant blossoms enchant gardens from spring through fall; some varieties even extend their color into winter, capturing gardeners’ imaginations. 

In the 2025 Proven Winners Perennial Survey of more than 14,000 U.S. and Canadian gardeners, 42 percent named purple their favorite bloom color. Wave Purple Classic petunias became North America’s top-selling petunia within four years of their 1999 debut, and the Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) ranked among the survey’s top three perennials alongside salvia and hosta.

Across cultures, purple flowers symbolize royalty, honor, and wealth, making them fitting for weddings, formal events, and funerals as tokens of remembrance. Deep violet tones convey prestige and luxury; lavender and lilac shades suggest creativity and mystery; pale purples express respect and admiration; and soft lavenders evoke spirituality and calm, offering moments of inner peace and healing.

List of 28 Most Popular Purple Flowers

USDA ZoneAll234567891011

SunlightAllFull sunPartial shadeFull sun to partial shade

Watering NeedAllLowModerateHigh

Used InAllWeddingFunerals & MemorialsReligious & Cultural EventsHome & Garden Decor

Fragrance TypeAllFloralSweetNeutral

Fragrance StrengthAllMildStrongNone

Plant TypeAllAnnualBiennialPerennial

SizeAllLargeMediumSmall

Blooming SeasonAllWinterSpringSummer

Toxicity to PetsAllHighModerateNon-toxic

Name	Scientific Name	Appearance	USDA Zone	Sunlight	Watering Need	Used In	Fragrance Type	Fragrance Strength	Plant Type	Size	Blooming Season	Maintenance Cost	Toxicity to Pets
English Lavender Lavandula angustifolia Summer Perennial Medium Low	Lavandula angustifolia	Upright spikes of densely packed, fragrant bluish-purple tubular flowers Floral Strong	5, 6, 7, 8, 9	Full sun	Low	Weddings, Home & Garden Decor	Floral	Strong	Perennial	Medium	Summer	Low	Non-toxic
Bloomerang Dark Purple Lilac* Syringa vulgaris ‘Bloomerang Dark Purple’ Spring Perennial Large Moderate	Syringa vulgaris ‘Bloomerang Dark Purple’	Conical panicles of deep purple, tubular, highly fragrant blossoms Sweet Strong	3, 4, 5, 6, 7	Full sun	Moderate	Weddings, Home & Garden Decor	Sweet	Strong	Perennial	Large	Spring	Moderate	Non-toxic
Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea Summer Perennial Medium Low	Echinacea purpurea	Daisy-like blooms with drooping purple-pink petals around a spiky cone Neutral None	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8	Full sun	Moderate	Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Perennial	Medium	Summer	Low	Non-toxic
Bearded Iris* Iris × germanica Spring to Summer Perennial Medium Moderate	Iris × germanica	Bi-colored blooms with upright standards and drooping falls, fuzzy-centered Floral Mild	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Funerals & Memorials, Weddings	Floral	Mild	Perennial	Medium	Spring to Summer	Moderate	Moderate
Hydrangea# Hydrangea spp Summer to Fall Perennial Large High	Hydrangea spp	Globe-shaped clusters of lavender to deep purple florets clustered tightly Neutral None	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	Partial shade	High	Weddings, Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Perennial	Large	Summer to Fall	High	Moderate
Sweet Violet Viola odorata Spring Perennial Small Low	Viola odorata	Solitary five-petaled purple flowers veined with darker purple accents Sweet Mild	4, 5, 6, 7, 8	Partial shade	Moderate	Home & Garden Decor	Sweet	Mild	Perennial	Small	Spring	Low	Non-toxic
Meadow Sage Salvia nemorosa Summer Perennial Medium Low	Salvia nemorosa	Multiple spikes of densely packed violet-blue tubular flowers Neutral Mild	4, 5, 6, 7, 8	Full sun	Moderate	Religious & Cultural Events, Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	Mild	Perennial	Medium	Summer	Low	Non-toxic
Giant Allium Allium giganteum Spring to Summer Perennial Large Moderate	Allium giganteum	Spherical umbels of star-shaped violet-purple florets atop tall stems Neutral None	4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	Full sun	Low	Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Perennial	Large	Spring to Summer	Moderate	High
Candle Larkspur Delphinium elatum Summer Perennial Large High	Delphinium elatum	Tall spikes of deep purple, spur-tipped flowers in succession Neutral None	3, 4, 5, 6, 7	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Weddings, Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Perennial	Large	Summer	High	High
Chinese Wisteria Wisteria sinensis Spring Perennial Large High	Wisteria sinensis	Long cascading racemes of fragrant, pea-like purple blooms Sweet Mild	5, 6, 7, 8, 9	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Home & Garden Decor	Sweet	Mild	Perennial	Large	Spring	High	Moderate
Jackman Clematis* Clematis × jackmanii Summer Perennial Large High	Clematis × jackmanii	Large star-shaped purple tepals with distinctive yellow anthers Neutral None	4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Weddings, Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Perennial	Large	Summer	High	Moderate
Purple Wave Petunia* Petunia × atkinsiana ‘Purple Wave’ Summer to Fall Annual Small Moderate	Petunia × atkinsiana ‘Purple Wave’	Mounds of velvety, funnel-shaped deep purple flowers cascading outward Sweet Mild	10, 11	Full sun	High	Home & Garden Decor	Sweet	Mild	Annual	Small	Summer to Fall	Moderate	Non-toxic
Common Morning Glory Ipomoea purpurea Summer to Fall Annual Large Low	Ipomoea purpurea	Funnel-shaped violet-purple blooms opening each morning with yellow throats Neutral None	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10	Full sun	Moderate	Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Annual	Large	Summer to Fall	Low	Moderate
Blue Paradise Garden Phlox* Phlox paniculata ‘Blue Paradise’ Summer to Fall Perennial Medium Moderate	Phlox paniculata ‘Blue Paradise’	Dense rounded clusters of vibrant fragrant, star-shaped lilac-purple flowers Sweet Strong	4, 5, 6, 7, 8	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Weddings, Home & Garden Decor	Sweet	Strong	Perennial	Medium	Summer to Fall	Moderate	Non-toxic
Purple Dome New York Aster* Symphyotrichum novi-belgii ‘Purple Dome’ Summer to Fall Perennial Medium Moderate	Symphyotrichum novi-belgii ‘Purple Dome’	Mounds of small lavender-purple daisy blooms with golden centers Neutral None	4, 5, 6, 7, 8	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Funerals & Memorials, Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Perennial	Medium	Summer to Fall	Moderate	Non-toxic
Violet Rocky Mountain Columbine * Aquilegia caerulea var. violacea Spring to Summer Perennial Medium Low	Aquilegia caerulea var. violacea	Nodding spurred flowers with distinctive violet-blue and white petals Neutral Mild	3, 4, 5, 6, 7	Partial shade	Moderate	Weddings, Religious & Cultural Events	Neutral	Mild	Perennial	Medium	Spring to Summer	Low	Moderate
Gallery Purple Lupine* Lupinus polyphyllus ‘Gallery Purple’ Summer Perennial Medium Moderate	Lupinus polyphyllus ‘Gallery Purple’	Tall racemes of pea-like deep purple flowers atop stalks Neutral None	4, 5, 6, 7	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Perennial	Medium	Summer	Moderate	Moderate
Purple Sensation Hyacinth* Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Purple Sensation’ Spring Perennial Small Moderate	Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Purple Sensation’	Dense cylindrical clusters of scented tubular deep purple florets Sweet Strong	4, 5, 6, 7, 8	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Funerals & Memorials, Home & Garden Decor	Sweet	Strong	Perennial	Small	Spring	Moderate	High
Benary’s Giant Purple Zinnia* Zinnia elegans ‘Benary’s Giant Purple’ Summer to Fall Annual Medium Low	Zinnia elegans ‘Benary’s Giant Purple’	Large fully double showy mauve-purple blooms with layered petals Neutral None	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10	Full sun	Moderate	Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Annual	Medium	Summer to Fall	Low	Non-toxic
Purple Gem Dahlia* Dahlia pinnata ‘Purple Gem’ Summer to Fall Perennial Medium Moderate	Dahlia pinnata ‘Purple Gem’	Semi-double to double deep purple blooms with pointed petals Neutral None	8, 9, 10, 11	Full sun	High	Weddings, Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Perennial	Medium	Summer to Fall	Moderate	Non-toxic
Purple Stock* Matthiola incana ‘Purple Stock’ Spring Biennial Medium High	Matthiola incana ‘Purple Stock’	Tall dense upright clusters of fragrant mauve-purple, four-petaled blooms Sweet Strong	5, 6, 7, 8, 9	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Weddings, Funerals & Memorials	Sweet	Strong	Biennial	Medium	Spring	High	Moderate
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea Spring to Summer Biennial Large Moderate	Digitalis purpurea	Tall spires of tubular purple bell-shaped flowers spotted inside Neutral None	4, 5, 6, 7, 8	Partial shade	Moderate	Religious & Cultural Events, Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Biennial	Large	Spring to Summer	Moderate	High
Purpletop Vervain Verbena bonariensis Summer to Fall Perennial Large Low	Verbena bonariensis	Loose clusters of star-shaped violet-purple flowers on tall stems Neutral None	7, 8, 9, 10	Full sun	Low	Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Perennial	Large	Summer to Fall	Low	Non-toxic
Sarastro Bellflower* Campanula portenschlagiana ‘Sarastro’ Summer Perennial Small Low	Campanula portenschlagiana ‘Sarastro’	Trailing dense masses of graceful star-shaped violet-purple bell flowers Neutral None	3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Weddings, Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Perennial	Small	Summer	Low	Non-toxic
Purple Perfume Tobacco* Nicotiana alata ‘Purple Perfume’ Summer to Fall Annual Medium Moderate	Nicotiana alata ‘Purple Perfume’	Clusters of tubular magenta-purple blossoms Sweet Strong	10, 11	Full sun to partial shade	High	Home & Garden Decor	Sweet	Strong	Annual	Medium	Summer to Fall	Moderate	High
Pure Purple Pansy* Viola × wittrockiana ’Pure Purple’ Spring to Fall Annual Small Moderate	Viola × wittrockiana ’Pure Purple’	Compact, bushy mounds of uniform deep-purple, face-like blooms without blotches Neutral None	6, 7, 8, 9, 10	Full sun to partial shade	Moderate	Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Annual	Small	Spring to Fall	Moderate	Non-toxic
Sonata Purple Shades Cosmos* Cosmos bipinnatus ’Sonata Purple Shades’ Spring to Summer Annual Medium Low	Cosmos bipinnatus ’Sonata Purple Shades’	Free-flowering, golden-eyed daisy-likes blooms Neutral None	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11	Full sun	Moderate	Home & Garden Decor	Neutral	None	Annual	Medium	Spring to Summer	Low	Non-toxic

Due to their rising popularity, purple flowers have become a staple in both home gardens and professional floral design. These blossoms also carry centuries of symbolism: from regal authority and heartfelt respect to creative spark and inner calm.  Whether framing a backyard border, anchoring a bridal bouquet, or lending depth to seasonal designs, purple flowers leave a lasting impression that honors tradition while inspiring fresh floral possibilities.