Bulb plants with purple flowers are numerous – for example blazing star and the pasque flower – and we are sure you will find what you are looking for in this article.
Which bulb plants can I grow indoors and are there bulb plants that do not need much watering?
Continue reading for the answers to these and to learn more about purple flowering plants identification.
A Variety of Bulb Plants With Purple Flowers
1. Blazing Star (Liatris Spicata)
It is a perennial plant and belongs to the family of Asteraceae, and is native to eastern North America. The plant has narrow grass-like leaves that turn to a beautiful bronze shade in the fall. It gets its name from its striking stalks that bloom from the top down instead of the bottom up. Expect pollinators with this around.
– Growing Season
The plant is best grown in summer to early fall. It is a very small plant, with a height between 2 to 5 feet and a width between 9 to 18 inches. It is seen growing indoors because of its height and is also seen outdoors. You should also add some companion plants to Liatris to help it grow stronger!
– Specific Needs
It prefers to grow in full sun. The more exposure to the sun, the more it grows and blooms. The plant works with rich soils with slightly acidic to neutral soil pH.
Water the plant 1 inch per week during the hot month to avoid small flowers and leaf blackening. It only needs to be watered in its first growing season, after which they develop tolerance to drought and soil conditions. Furthermore, it is propagated by division in early spring.
2. Purple Sensation (Allium Hollandicum)
It belongs to the Amaryllidaceae family, bears perennial flowers, and is native to central China and Iran. The plant is distinguished by its diverse color range of flowers that bloom on a leafless stem. It is bound to attract butterflies and is deer, rodent, and rabbit-resistant.
– Growing Season
The plant is best grown in summer and fall. It is a low-growing plant that grows to a height between 2 to 6 inches, making it suitable to be grown indoors.
– Specific Needs
It grows well under full sun, at least six hours of direct sunlight daily, but tolerates partial shade. The sun-lover prefers well-drained clay, loamy, and sandy soil with no soil pH preference.
The plant has less watering needs and is tolerant to drought when it matures. It is propagated by dividing the clumps of bulbs in early spring or fall. Some produce tiny bulbils in their flower heads.
3. Pasque Flower (Pulsatilla Vulgaris)
It is an early-blooming perennial and is the first herbaceous perennial to bloom. The plant belongs to the Ranunculaceae family and is native to central and northern continental Europe.
The plant is covered with soft and silver hair and remains the center of attraction throughout the year. However, these flowers, when consumed, are poisonous to humans.
– Growing Season
It grows best in spring and is only 9 to 12 inches tall and the same width. The small-sized plant is easy to grow indoors as well. It bears flowers in cream, purple, lavender, and white.
– Specific Needs
It loves full sun, says no to full shade, and prefers well-drained, sandy soil with a neutral or alkaline pH.
The plant requires heavy watering. Water the plant two or three times a week and water the base of the plant two times, and once established, it is drought-tolerant. It is not a heavy feeder. It is propagated in three ways: seeds, root cuttings, and division.
4. Woodland Sage (Salvia nemorosa)
It is a medium-sized perennial that belongs to the Lamiaceae family and is native to Europe and Western Asia. The plant not only bears purple flowers but also has an upright purple stem. It attracts beneficial pollinators like hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. The leaves give off a minty scent.
– Growing Season
The plant is grown between June and September. It has an average height of three feet and a width of two feet. Majority of the species flower in summer and last till mid-autumn.
– Specific Needs
The sage plant grows in full sun, with at least 6 hours of sunlight. The leaves may burn in direct sunlight, so a shaded area is required. The plant prefers rich or clay soils and needs no supplemental fertilizer.
It is a drought-tolerant plant but requires little watering, even during the summer when it has not rained. The plant is propagated through vegetative cuttings in spring or early summer or by seeds in any season.
5. Butterfly Bush (Buddleja Davidii)
The Bush plant is a woody flowering perennial that belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family and is native to central China, although it grows quite easily in North America. It has arching branches that bear showy flowers at the tips. The spring flowers are mostly light purple with an orange center. There are plenty of butterfly bush varieties to choose from and plant in your garden!
– Growing Season
It is grown through the potted nursery starts or seeds in the spring. It has a fast growth rate and reaches its optimum height in a single growing season. The height range is between 3 to 12 feet, and the width is 3 to 8 feet.
– Specific Needs
The plant needs full sun, preferably six hours daily. It easily adapts to average soil as it is well-draining and prefers slightly acidic to neutral pH.
When the plant is growing actively, add an inch of water per week if some time has gone by without any rain. It does not need any fertilizer but does well with a thin layer of compost spread over the root area each spring. The easiest way to propagate it is through cuttings.
6. Morning Glory
It is an aggressive annual that belongs to the Convolvulaceae family and is native to Central and Southern America, but its new home is in North America.
The plant is characterized by its trumpet-shaped 3-inch across flowers and heart-shaped leaves. It is mostly planted as an ornamental plant but is discarded as a weed in some regions.
– Growing Season
Grow the plant in summer and fall for the best growth results. It is 6 to 10 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. Expect it to start blooming by midsummers with regular watering. It shows tolerance to both hot and cold temperatures.
– Specific Needs
The flowers open when exposed to direct sunlight, six to eight hours a day, as per the rule of thumb. Keep the plant in the designated amount of sunlight to have the blooms for the longest time.
It grows well in moist but well-drained, less organic matter soil with an acidic to neutral pH, but this does not stop it from growing just about anywhere.
It requires regular watering, about an inch per week. To help the plant retain moisture, add mulch to the soil. Feed it with a low-nitrogen fertilizer every month in the growing season. The best way to propagate it is through seeds.
7. Netted Iris (Iris Reticulata)
It is one of the perennial flower bulbs that belongs to the Iridaceae family and is native from Eastern Turkey to Iran.
The flowers are 2 to 3 inches in spread. They are easily identified by their three sepals, three petals, and three pollen-receptive stigma branches that hide the pollen-producing anthers, while the leaves are strap-like and overlap in a fan shape at the base.
– Growing Season
The plant shows optimal growth when planted in spring. It is a quite low-growing plant with a height of only 4 to 6 inches and the same width. Grow it indoors with your other small or medium-sized plants for an aesthetic look.
– Specific Needs
The Iris plant needs full sun to grow but tolerates partial shade. It strongly prefers well-drained, moist, and gravelly soil with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH.
It needs to be constantly moist in its blooming season, so water it when the soil begins to feel dry. Do not water the plant in summer as it is when it is dormant, and watering it then is likely to cause conditions like root rot.
You do not need to add any fertilizer if you have planted it in high-quality soil. It is propagated through division.
8. Ornamental Onion
It is a perennial bulb that belongs to the family of Amaryllidaceae and is native to Wisconsin.
The plant is identified by its clustered flowers which are famous for their pom-pom shape, while the leaves are slender, narrow, and cylindrical. It gives off a smell resembling garlic and onion.
– Growing Season
It grows well when planted in spring. The average height of the plant lies between 1 to 4 feet and its width is 3 to 10 inches. Apart from purple flowers, it blooms in colors like pink, yellow, white, and green.
– Specific Needs
To achieve the best flowering and healthy plant, place it in full sun, but it also tolerates partial shade. It prefers slightly acidic soil. Add organic matter to the soil to help with drainage.
It does not require to be watered frequently, so rainfall does the trick perfectly. Water it every three to five days if it has not rained for quite some time.
You do not need to feed the soil if it is amended. Otherwise, a little balanced fertilizer helps it regain energy after blooming. It is easily propagated by dividing the bulb offshoots.
Conclusion
We hope that we have made it easier for you to identify the purple flowering bulbs. Each plant has its distinguishing characteristics.
Whichever plant you decide to have, always remember the following important points from the article above:
- The sensation plant is a unique bulb plant as it has no leaves.
- Plant a glory plant for its attractive trumpet-shaped flowers and heart-shaped leaves.
- If you are looking for an ornamental plant, look at the ornamental onion plant.
After knowing more about these plants, which one would you like to grow?
References
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/allium/
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/liatris-spicata/
- https://extension.umd.edu/resource/butterfly-bush
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/iris-reticulata-harmony/
- https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/330665/allium-aflatunense-purple-sensation/details
- https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/pasque-flower-pulsatilla-vulgaris/
- https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/69251/salvia-tachiei-hort/details
- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/allium/
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