Purple plants Florida will often add interest and a calming effect to any garden or home. Planting purple plants in your garden will bring peace and tranquility to your surrounding.
With Florida’s sweltering summer climate, most gardeners find it hard to find flowers that can withstand this climate. This article discusses at some of the most amazing purple flowers that do well in USDA zones 8 to 10, read all about them.
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List of Purple Plants Florida
1. Mexican Heather
Mexican heather is a purple flower that blooms all year long. Just as the name suggests, this purple flower is native to Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala.
– Originality
The Mexican heather flowers perform well in the hardiness zone and would be a great choice for gardens in Florida.
– Features
It has tiny trumpet-shaped flowers with six petals that spread openly. The plant’s foliage is glossy, lance-shaped, and green.
While the plant might be confused to belong to the heather family, it’s not. In fact, the Mexican heather is often nicknamed “false heather.” Other common names for this plant are Hawaiian heather and Elfin herb.
– Care Requirements
When planting the Mexican heather, ensure the soil has warmed. Use the plant as a border plant, along walkways, a border plant, or in small spaces. Note that if you’re a hanging plant fan, this flower hangs attractively on colored baskets. You can also group them next to a pool or pots around a patio.
Flowers bloom well in full sun or partial shade. While this plant performs well in full sun, its flowers are brighter when placed in partial shade.
2. Hibiscus
Known for its beautiful flowers, the hibiscus flower blooms throughout the year with little maintenance.
– Characteristics
Growing this plant in South Florida is a remarkable way to bring some tropical flair to your garden or home. You can enjoy a year full of lovely and calming flowers with simple care tips.
Most gardeners prefer to grow hibiscus in containers. This makes it easy for them to move the plant to ideal locations.
– Care Requirements
In this regard, the hibiscus plant does well in full sun, especially if you want the flowers to glow. You should plant tropical hibiscus in moist but well-drained soil. Conversely, perennial hibiscus will do well in moist soil watered consistently.
Plant the hibiscus flower in pots that allow for a cozy fit. With proper planting in a container with good drainage, this plant will blossom well during the warm weather.
– Growth Time
Now, as the next question would go, when should you plant hibiscus? Essentially, since they grow optimally in summer, plant them in early spring. This time would give them ample period to develop their roots.
3. Jacaranda
Jacaranda is a common gem of Central and South Florida. It’s a beautiful tree that spreads across your front yard with lavender-purple blooms during spring.
– Growth Requirements
Jacarandas are moderately drought tolerant and often thrive in USDA plant hardiness zones 9 to 11. However, they require occasional watering during prolonged droughts.
In addition, you must note that it needs full sun and sandy soil in order to thrive well, and to show its beautiful and aromatic lavender colored little flowers.
– Growth Time
You may have to wait until you enjoy the beauty of jacarandas, since they mature after eight years. Once the tree reaches its maturity, it blooms in late spring to early summer.
– Disease
Generally, jacarandas are ideal for outdoors and are resistant to diseases and pests. Though these plants grow indoors, they don’t flower. As a result, consider planting them outdoors. A common issue with planting them indoors is that they attract white flies and aphids, and the damage that they would cause would be great on the health of the plant.
4. Tall Garden Phlox
Avid gardeners will agree that nothing beats the aura of tall garden phlox plants.
– Features
These dazzling perennials are a perfect choice for sunny borders.
What’s more, the tall, strong stems and the beautiful shades of purple, pink, white, or lavender flowers that bloom for weeks during summer make them good cut flowers to thrive in your garden.
– Care Requirements
Taking care of the tall garden phlox is easy. The garden phlox loves the sun, and it’s often adored for its large clusters of flowers. Grow this plant in early spring and ensure it’s positioned where it can get full sun. As for the soil, keep it moist but well-drained.
5. Liatris
Liatris, commonly known as gayfeather or blazing star, blooms for several months during summer. The blazing star is native to eastern North America. Though it’s a wildflower, it works well when planted in the garden next to rounded plants like daylily or catmint.
– Care Requirements
Blazing star is easygoing, but it must be grown in full sun. When grown in partial shade, it doesn’t flower effectively and can easily be affected by diseases.
In addition, this plant requires well-drained, light soil for optimal growth. You don’t have to worry about the soil pH as long as you ensure proper drainage, where water will not stay. However, you may have to be wary of overwatering the blazing star since it doesn’t tolerate wet feet, it will develop fungi instead and the latter would damage your plant.
6. Passion Flower
Passion flower vine is another easygoing perennial that is native to Florida.
It’s also known by the names’ may-pop, passionflower, or granadilla.
– Features
Passion flower has many varieties, such as annuals, perennials, shrubs, and trees.
– Care Requirements
The best place to grow this flowering vine is in a sunny spot with moist but well-drained soil. If you’re after fruits, plant the vine in a pollinator garden. The plant also works well against a garden wall, especially for species that can be easily damaged by harsh weather conditions.
7. Persian Shield
There’s a good chance you might have seen the Persian shield, or the strobilanthes dyerianus, at nursery centers.
– Features
The bright leaves of this plant make it a preferred choice for an indoor plant.
Note that one of the reasons why it makes it a perfect Florida plant is that it has long, slender foliage with sharp points.
– Growth Requirements
As an annual indoor plant, the Persian shield is potted in early spring once the soil has fully warmed. It’s a fast grower, especially in warm, humid conditions. This plant can become bushy in a few weeks when planted in a small nursery.
– Characteristics
One exciting aspect of the Persian shield is that it can work well as an evergreen subshrub in areas without winter frost. It can also grow as a hardy perennial. In colder environments, plant the Persian shield in containers and use them to enhance your home’s aesthetic appeal.
– Drawbacks
However, one of the downsides that it has is that it’s worth noting that the Persian shield can die in extreme conditions where it’s too dry or too cold. You must keep this in mind if the location where you are is colder in winter times.
8. Pentas
Pentas or pentas lanceolata, provides an easy way to bring color to your garden throughout the year.
– Features
These plants do well in warm regions and are often named “pentas” because of their five-pointed corolla on the flowers.
Pentas come in various hues of white, red, purple, pink, or lavender.
– Care Requirements
Plant pentas where they can receive full sun for at least eight hours. They grow very well in almost any soil type, including sandy soils. But it’s crucial to ensure you plant your pentas in well-drained soil. For the best flowers to bloom you must plant them in a well-drained loamy soil.
Pentas are a good addition to welcome different pollinator to your garden since they attract butterflies and bees . Since they produce sweet nectar, expect pentas to attract hummingbirds too.
9. Morning Glory
Morning Glory flowers or theConvolvulus purpureus even known as the Ipomoea purpurea, are tender annuals.
– Characteristics
These plants have alluring funnel-shaped flowers of varying shades like red, purple, blue, yellow, and white. They also feature heart-shaped foliage that blooms from May through September.
One of the main remarkable aspects of the morning glory plant is that its flowers open in the morning and close in the evening.
– Growth Requirements
The flowers grow easily with little maintenance and are ideal for containers. In fact, they look great when used as hanging plants. Though morning glories do well in full sun, they can survive when placed in light shade.
10. Blue Daze
Blue daze is also known as the Evolvulus glomeratus scientifically, and it is a native of Paraguay and Brazil. This plant is also called dwarf morning glory.
– Features
While these flowers might not be purple, they look purple from a distance with the various hues that they contain.
If you’re looking for blue flowers in Florida to brighten your garden, these flowers are definitely worth the try.
– Location
Blue daze flowers are ideal for ground cover in your garden, if you locate them indoors. On the other hand, they also do well in containers and can be used as houseplants, if you place them indoors.
– Care Requirements
They perform well in acidic soil, whether grown in your garden or a hanging basket. Plant the blue daze flowers in loamy but well-drained soil for the best blooms.
11. Purple Coneflower
Purple coneflower or theEchinacea purpurea, are popular Florida plants for all the good reasons.
– Benefits
Besides being good pollinators, they are easygoing perennials that provide a tall background for your garden, and this an advantageous feature that you could take into consideration.
– Care Requirements
In order to see it thrive, you just need to do the basics; regular watering. Add a layer of compost in spring to ensure you continue enjoying these radiant flowers in your garden or home.
12. Firebush
Firebush, commonly known as Hamelia patens, are native plants to the Southern United States and Argentina.
– Characteristics
These plants have gorgeous flame-colored flowers. Hamelia patens are drought tolerant, an attribute that makes them easy to grow.
Firebush plants bring color and density to your garden.
– Care Requirements
Provided with optimal conditions to thrive, Hamelia patens will decorate your garden. They do well in full sun and moderately dry soil. The plant’s leaves are initially reddish, but turn reddish-purple during winter.
13. Blanket Flower
The blanket flower is a Florida native plant, and one that’s very much loved.
– Characteristics
It’s a short-lived perennial plant that requires minimal maintenance and is resistant to pests and diseases.
The blanket flower has daisy-like flowers and grows to about 24 inches in height.
– Features and Benefits
It blooms with various hues, including orange, yellow, and purple-red flowers. They are a very attractive addition to your garden, especially if you blend them with bright flowers.
14. Scarlet Sage
Scarlet sage deserves a spot in your garden because of its wide selection of colorful flowers in shades like rich purple, lavender, blue, pink, salmon, and white.
– Benefits
These flowers can be paired with their cousin, salvia coccinea, to brighten your garden with radiant flowers of varying colors, and this could be an amazing decorative idea to your garden.
Blending them with hibiscus coccineus is also a good idea, since pollinators like hummingbirds love brilliant colors. In addition, these flowers attract pollinators, including bees, to your flowery garden, and this is great because as a result, your garden will prosper.
15. Shooting Star
The shooting star is another interesting addition to your garden, especially if you’re looking for plants that blend with other native Florida flowers. This plant is often planted in spring and has a slow growth rate.
– Care Requirements
Shooting star performs well in partial shade. However, it can also bloom effectively under the sun in cooler environments.
Plant it in rocky, humusy, or sandy soils, however, make sure that you keep the soil fairly moist to see this beautiful purple colored plant thrive.
Conclusion
Let’s be honest, the color purple often has a soothing effect, which is why most gardeners love it.
Here are some points to sum up what we covered throughout the whole article:
- Most of these purple colored Florida plants would thrive slowly, but they will show you their beautiful blooms in spring time.
- They thrive perfectly well in the hardiness zone 8 to 10.
- One of the great options to plant in your garden would be the Scarlet sage because you can always pair it with different Florida plants, such as with hibiscus and your garden would look like a little paradise.
While it may be daunting to find purple plants Florida that withstand the summer weather, this post has listed for you the best plants to grow in your garden. Which of these would you pick from this list and use them to make your garden attractive?
