If you love purple flowers and want to add some more to your garden, here are some shrubs and bushes that have magnificent purple flowers.
Alyogyne huegelii (Native Hibiscus)
This Western Australian native plant will amaze you with its stunning large, deep purple flowers. It’s a fast-growing shrub that can reach a height of 2.5 metres. It’s also found growing naturally in South Australia in sandy soils.
This shrub has dull green leaves that are hairy and either 3 or 5 lobed. The flowers are large and showy and look like hibiscus flowers.
It’s important to keep this plant well-pruned so that it doesn’t become too woody. It has the capacity to sprout new foliage from old wood, so don’t be afraid to cut it back hard after it’s finished flowering to maintain a compact shape.
Magnolia liliiflora (Purple Magnolia)
This deciduous magnolia will blow you away when it breaks out in bloom in spring on bare branches. The flowers are a gorgeous deep purple colour and really stand out against the bare wood.
After flowering, the plant will grow new leaves that are dark green in colour and have a downy underside. In order to protect the plant’s natural graceful shape, it’s recommended that you don’t prune it.
Cotinus coggygria (Purple Smoke Bush)
A purple smoke bush in full bloom is an amazing sight. Not only does the bush have dark purple leaves but it also produces mist-like purple flowers in late spring and early summer.
These look like little puffs of smoke above the foliage. After flowering has finished, the leaves turn into a striking crimson in colour before falling off. This plant will definitely add a vibrant touch of colour to your garden.
It grows to a height of 3 metres with a spread of around 2 metres.
Eremophila maculata (Spotted Emu Bush)
The spotted emu bush is another Australian native flower that has bright purple fuschia-like blooms. These start out as bright pink to purple buds and open up to reveal gorgeous spotted petals.
The plant itself is quite attractive with mid-green leaves and a fairly compact growth habit. It can reach a height and spread of around 1.8 metres. There are also varieties with red or pink flowers.
This bush responds well to pruning after it’s finished flowering to maintain a nice compact shape.
Melaleuca decussata (Cross-leaved Honey Myrtle)
The cross-leaved honey myrtle puts on a spectacular display when it blooms with its brush-like purple flowers in spring. The plant has small green leaves on long arching branches.
This pretty native flowering shrub will attract birds to your garden when it’s in bloom. It can grow to a height of 3 metres and a spread of around 2.5 metres.
To keep the shrub nice and bushy, it’s a good idea to give it a prune after it’s finished flowering.
Eremophila bignoniiflora (Bignonia Emu Bush)
This is another emu bush with delightful pale purple flowers. The flower buds are white, to begin with, and then open up to reveal delicate pale purple petals. The lower of these is usually spotted.
This shrub likes to spread and can grow to a width of 5 metres and it also grows to a similar height. It occurs naturally mainly in inland arid areas of NSW and Queensland, but can also be found in the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia and the north-west of Victoria.
The widespread occurrence of this plant in nature means that it will adapt to a wide range of growing conditions as long as there’s not too much humidity.
Melaleuca wilsonii (Violet Honey Myrtle)
Melaleucas are well-known for their vibrant floral display and this species is no exception. It has stunning bright purple brush-like flowers that are much darker than the cross-leaved honey myrtle.
This native Australian shrub is suited more to the temperate climate of southern Australia as it’s found naturally in south-east South Australia and north-west Victoria. It can grow to a height of 3 metres.
This is a good choice if you have an area in your garden that is constantly damp.
Melaleuca pulchella (Claw Honey Myrtle)
The claw honey myrtle has a different flower structure to the other honey myrtles mentioned so far. This species has small claw-like flowers that can be either pink or purple. These usually appear on the ends of branches.
It’s quite a compact shrub, only reaching a height of around 1.2 metres with a width of 1.5 metres. Branches are often weeping, giving this plant a highly attractive form.
This is a Western Australian native so it prefers well-drained soil and a sunny position in your garden.
Tremandra stelligera
This is another Western Australian native, primarily from the southwest corner of the state. It has a spreading habit and can reach a height of 2 metres.
The flowers on this shrub are a very vibrant purple. They have four or five petals and are cup-shaped. The stems and leaves on this plant are somewhat hairy.
Melaleuca thymifolia (Thyme-leaf Honey-myrtle)
This small shrub is part of the Myrtaceae family and typically grows to a height of around 1 metre, making it perfect as a groundcover or low-growing hedge.
The evergreen leaves on Melaleuca thymifolia are narrow and pointed while its purple flowers can bloom all year round. This plant is also great for attracting insects and birds to your garden.
Westringia ‘Blue Gem’
Westringias are hardy, low-maintenance plants that grow happily in full sun. This particular hybrid has the most spectacular blue-purple flowers that cover the entire plant in spring.
It will grow to a height of 1.5 metres and spread to a width of 1.3 metres. This makes it a lovely rounded shrub that is perfect for more formal landscape plantings.
Hibiscus syriacus
Hibiscus can grow quite large and are perfect for smaller yards as a feature tree. This species can reach a height of 4 metres. There are numerous cultivars available that have either single or double purple blooms.
Although I’ve always associated Hibiscus with sub-tropical and tropical regions, this species can actually be grown in most parts of the country because it will tolerate frost, mild drought conditions, and either full sun or part shade.
