Best Purple Flowering Plants for Australian Gardens

Add striking colour to your landscape design with purple flowers in summer.

A garden is not complete without summer flowers and purple blooms are an easy way to add colour and interest to your next design. Ranging from pale lavender to deep violet shades and aubergines, purple flowers will suit any style, from formal and cottage gardens to more natural landscapes. Not only great for adding vibrancy, the violet range of the colour spectrum is also especially attractive to insect pollinators.

For a blast of striking colour try planting purple flowering plants with hot reds and oranges. Or select the one colour and combine different shades for a relaxing and harmonious design. Or go with the classic cottage look and pair purples with pinks and whites.

With so many different types of purple flowering plants ranging from natives such as Brachyscome, Alyogyne, Viola, Hardenbergia and Dianella to classic favourites such as Lavender, Hydrangeas and Jacarandas, the options are endless when it comes to purple flowering plants.

To help you out we have put together a list of our favourite purple flowering groundcovers, purple flowering perennials and purple flowering shrubs - perfect for adding summer colour. 

OUR TOP PURPLE FLOWERING PLANTS

Statice or Sea Lavender [Limonium perezii]

For no fuss summer flowers and a stellar performance you can't beat Limonium perezii. Ideal for both commercial and residential projects, Statice or Sea Lavender, has long lasting, purple flowers on tall stems and looks great when mass planted. Limonium perezii is low maintenance and tolerates harsh conditions including salt spray. 

Grows to approx. 30-60cm H x W

Blue Morning Glory [Convolvulus sabatius]

With long lasting, purple funnel shaped flowers from spring through to autumn, this groundcover is tough and fast growing. Use to brighten up borders, rock walls and containers.

Grows to approx. 15cm H x 1m W.

Purple Ball Mophead Hydrangea [Hydrangea macrophylla Purple Ball]

With large, showy flowerheads Hydrangeas are timeless favourites for the summer garden. Often used in formal and cottage gardens Hydrangeas will equally suit modern landscape designs and make beautiful cut flowers. Hydrangea Purple Ball has large, purple flowers and looks great planted with Azaleas, Camellias and Magnolias for a traditional cottage look. Performs best in part shade and protected from hot afternoon sun. Requires regular watering. 

Grows to approx. 2m H x 1.5m W.

Cut Leaf Daisy [Brachyscome multifida]

This native star has long lasting, purple daisy-like flowers and finely cut foliage. A fabulous addition to a native garden design Cut Leaf Daisy is great mass planted, in borders, retaining walls, planters and hanging baskets. Butterfly attracting.

Grows to approx. 30-60cm H x W.

Mona Lavender [Plectranthus Monda Lavender] 

Perfect for providing colour to a shady area, Mona Lavender has spikes of purple coloured flowers from late summer to autumn. A low growing shrub with ornamental deep green leaves and purple undersides, Mona Lavender adds interest to your garden design throughout the year. Unlike some other Plectranthus, Mona Lavender does not spread but has a neat, upright habit. Use mass planted, in borders, pathways and driveways or as a patio plant.

Grows to approx. 80cm H x 60cm W.

English Lavender [Lavandula angustifolia]

With an aromatic foliage and upright, purple flowers English Lavender is perfect as a hedge, in borders or as a pathway feature. Mass plant for a dreamy sea of purple or use in pots to add colour and fragrance to a patio area. Can be used in cooking, potpourri and is commercially grown for its higly prized essential oils. As often with Mediterranean plants, English Lavender is drought tolerant and perfect for water wise gardens. And what's more, it's a great butterfly attractor!

Grows to approx. 1-2m H x W.

Society Garlic [Tulbaghia violacea]

Loved by our landscape customers, Society Garlic has pale lilac-pink flowers sitting tall above the stems and will provide you with a long lasting summer flower display. Perfect for cottage gardens, it looks great when mass planted and can be used in borders, as a ground cover and in rockeries to great effect. Tulbaghia violacea is a fast growing, bulbous plant with the foliage smelling strongly of garlic. A tough performer that tolerates both heat and drought. 

Grows to approx. 30-60cm H x W.

Buzz Sky Blue Butterfly Bush [Buddleja davidii Buzz Sky Blue]

A butterfly attractor, with perfumed, purple flower spikes in summer on gracefully arching branches. Use in mixed borders, mass planted and in large containers in a sunny position. Butterfly Bush is an easy to grow, compact shrub perfect for smaller gardens and can easily be kept under 1m in height. Flowers last until late summer / early autumn. Impressive cut flower that lasts for days.

Grows to approx. 1m H x 1m W. 

Purple Flag [Patersonia occidentalis] 

A hardy and easy to care for native perennial with tall, 3-petalled flowers from spring to summer. Drought and frost resistant, Purple Flag is great for dry areas and native garden designs. Plant in full sun in borders and garden beds for a splash of purple.

Grows to approx. 50cm H x W.

Princess Nadia Bugleweed [Ajuga tenorii Princess Nadia]

An evergreen groundcover with repeat blooming, purple-blue flower spikes and variegated, colourful foliage providing year around interest. The foliage is white and green with pink new growth and a feature in itself. Use Princess Nadia Bugleweed mass planted, as underplanting, in mixed containers, along footpaths and in borders. Attracts pollinators and is a great weed suppressant. 

Grows to approx. 15cm H x 25cm W.

Scentropia Dark Blue Heliotropium [Heliotropium arborescens Scentropia Dark Blue]

Deep purple clusters of flowers contrast against the dark green, velvety foliage of this woody, evergreen shrub. The flowers have a sweet, vanilla / cherry fragrance attracting butterflies and other pollinators. A classic addition to cottage gardens. Keep moist during dry periods and protect from frost. 

Grows to approx. 30-40cm H x W.

Blue Dampiera [Dampiera diversifolia]

A tough, native groundcover with deep purple-blue flowers from spring to summer. Looks great mass planted spreading in rockeries, on enbankments and cascading down walls or hanging baskets. Spreads up to 2m but is not agressive.

Grows to approx. 15-30cm H x 1-2m W.

Lemon Thyme [Thymus citriodorus]

With lilac-pink flowers in late spring to summer, this lemon flavoured herb is not only edible, it looks attractive too! Lemon Thyme has several culinary uses as seasoning in savoury dishes, as marinade and in soups & stews. Plant in a kitchen garden, rockeries, borders or in mixed containers to add contrast. The flowers attract bees.

Grows to approx. 20cm H x 20cm W.

Deep Purple Coastal Rosemary [Westringia hybrida Deep Purple]

Westringias are popular, native shrubs with plenty of usages both in larger scale landscapes and domestic gardens. Westringia Deep Purple has particularly rich coloured flowers in deep purple contrasting against the glossy green foliage. Use as a border, low hedge, in rockeries and planters. Low maintenance, frost tolerant and ideal for native, coastal and water-wise gardens.

Grows to approx. 60cm -1m H x W.

Mystic Spires Blue Sage [Salvia Mystic Spires Blue]

A versatile, hardy perennial providing a long lasting flower display. Spikes of purple flowers bloom from spring to autumn adding pops of colour to garden beds, rockeries and patios. Mass plant to maximise effect. Reliable, heat tolerant and easy to grow, it's no wonder Salvia Mystic Spires Blue is popular in landscape designs!

Grows to approx. 60-70cm H x 40-50cm W.

Walkers Blue Catmint [Nepeta faassenii Walkers Blue]

Providing masses of colour to borders, rockeries and planters for a long period in summer, Walkers Blue Catmint is a popular groundcover with an abundance of tall purple / blue flower spikes. Ideal for cottage style garden designs. Prefers well drained soil and ideal for dry areas. 

Grows to approx. 15-30cm H x 60cm -1m W.

Hope you enjoyed reading about our TOP most popular Purple Flowering Plants! With so many options it's difficult to pick favourites. Are there any other purple flowering plants we should add to the list? Let us know in the comment section below.

All the above plants with purple flowers are regularly stocked at Plantmark. To find out more about each individual plant, click on the plant name to take you to the plant listing. Here you can also view availability, pot sizes and pricing at your preferred Plantmark. To view prizing make sure you are logged in as a Registered Trade Customer.

Registered Trade Customers Only. To sign up, click here.

Plantmark has 7 convenient locations:

MELB > Langwarrin Wantirna Thomastown Werribee
SYD > Vineyard  

BRIS > Willawong 

GOLD COAST > Carrara

We are open 6 days a week: 

MON–FRI 7:00am to 5:00pm
SAT 8:00am to 4:00pm