Gardeners Go Purple This Fall — The Next Big Thing Isn't a Gourd!

By Garden Design Magazine | Updated: October 15, 2024

Move over pumpkins, step aside gourds—there's a new color dominating American autumn landscapes. This fall, purple is the undisputed champion of garden design, with homeowners and professional landscapers alike embracing violet hues to create stunning outdoor spaces that defy traditional autumn expectations.

The shift toward purple gardens represents more than just a color trend—it's a movement toward more creative, personalized outdoor spaces that maintain visual interest deep into the fall season. From deep eggplant tones to soft lavender shades, purple plants are transforming gardens across the United States, offering a sophisticated alternative to the traditional orange-and-yellow autumn palette.

Advertisement

The Psychology Behind the Purple Revolution

The sudden popularity of purple in fall gardens isn't accidental—it reflects deeper cultural shifts and psychological responses to color in our environments.

Color Psychology and Emotional Impact

According to color psychology research, purple evokes feelings of creativity, transformation, and spirituality. These associations make it particularly appealing as a garden color during autumn—a season traditionally associated with change and transition.

Cultural and Design Influences

Several factors have contributed to purple's rising popularity in garden design:

• Increased interest in mindfulness and meditation gardens (where purple is considered a calming color)
• The rise of "jewel tone" gardening, which emphasizes rich, saturated colors
• Social media trends showcasing unconventional garden color schemes
• Celebrity gardeners and influencers featuring purple plants in their designs

Varying shades of purple create visual interest and depth in autumn gardens

Top Purple Plants for Fall Gardens

Creating a stunning purple autumn garden requires selecting the right plants for your climate and design goals. Here are the most popular purple plants transforming American gardens this fall.

Lavender

Drought-tolerant with fragrant blooms that attract pollinators late into the season.

Purple Asters

Late-blooming perennial that provides vibrant color when most flowers have faded.

Ornamental Cabbage & Kale

Cold-tolerant with stunning purple and white patterns that intensify in cooler weather.

Purple Fountain Grass

Adds movement and texture with burgundy foliage and feathery plumes.

Lesser-Known Purple Gems

Beyond the popular choices, several underutilized purple plants can add unique interest to fall gardens:

1. Purple Beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma)

   This shrub produces spectacular clusters of vibrant purple berries that persist into winter, providing both color and food for birds.

2. Purple Leaf Plum (Prunus cerasifera)

   While primarily grown for its spring flowers, this tree's deep purple foliage provides striking color throughout the growing season.

3. Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

   While often thought of as a summer bloomer, newer cultivars extend flowering into fall, providing both color and medicinal benefits.

4. Purple Oregano (Origanum vulgare 'Purple')

   This culinary herb offers beautiful purple foliage and flowers, making it both ornamental and practical.

Ornamental kale offers intricate patterns and intensifies in color as temperatures drop

Advertisement

Designing Your Purple Fall Garden

Creating a cohesive purple garden requires more than just planting purple flowers. Successful designs consider texture, height, and complementary colors.

Color Combination Strategies

Purple offers remarkable versatility in garden design, working well with several color schemes:

• Monochromatic: Combine different shades of purple from pale lavender to deep eggplant for a sophisticated, cohesive look
• Complementary: Pair purple with its complementary color yellow for vibrant, eye-catching contrast
• Analogous: Blend purple with blues and reds for a harmonious, soothing palette
• Neutral backdrop: Use purple as an accent against white, silver, or gray foliage for modern elegance

Design Principles for Purple Gardens

Follow these expert tips for creating a stunning purple garden:

• Vary plant heights to create visual interest and depth
• Incorporate different textures—feathery grasses, broad leaves, and delicate flowers
• Use foliage plants to maintain color even when flowers aren't blooming
• Include plants with sequential blooming to extend the color display
• Add hardscape elements in complementary colors to enhance the purple theme

Silver foliage plants provide an elegant contrast to purple flowering plants

Regional Considerations for Purple Gardens

Successful purple gardening requires adapting plant choices to your specific climate and growing conditions.

Northeast and Midwest Gardens

Cold-hardy purple plants that can withstand early frosts are essential in these regions:

• Russian Sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia) - drought-tolerant with silvery-purple foliage
• New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) - native perennial with deep purple flowers
• Purple Leaf Sand Cherry (Prunus × cistena) - shrub with purple foliage and spring flowers
• Purple Dome Aster - compact variety ideal for smaller spaces

Southern Gardens

Heat-tolerant varieties that can withstand humid conditions perform best in southern climates:

• Vitex (Chaste Tree) - large shrub with lavender flower spikes
• Purple Heart (Tradescantia pallida) - trailing plant with deep purple foliage
• Texas Sage (Leucophyllum frutescens) - drought-tolerant shrub with purple flowers
• Purple Hyacinth Bean - fast-growing vine with purple stems and flowers

Western Gardens

Water-wise purple plants are essential in many western regions with limited rainfall:

• Lavender (multiple varieties) - thrives in dry conditions with excellent drainage
• Purple Sage (Salvia dorrii) - native shrub with silvery foliage and purple flowers
• Desert Marigold (Baileya multiradiata) - not a true marigold, with silvery foliage and yellow flowers that complement purple schemes
• Purple Poppy Mallow (Callirhoe involucrata) - drought-tolerant ground cover with magenta flowers

Advertisement

Beyond Ornamental: Edible Purple Plants

The purple garden trend extends beyond ornamentals to include edible plants that add both color and flavor to autumn gardens.

Purple Vegetables for Fall Harvest

Several purple vegetables thrive in cool weather and can be harvested well into autumn:

Purple Cauliflower

Rich in antioxidants with a striking color that holds when cooked.

Eggplant

Compact varieties work well in containers and small gardens.

Purple Kohlrabi

Fast-growing with a sweet, mild flavor and stunning color.

Purple Brussels Sprouts

Adds visual interest to the garden and nutritional value to meals.

Purple vegetables add both visual appeal and nutritional value to fall gardens

Companion Planting with Purple Edibles

Integrate purple vegetables into ornamental gardens for both beauty and function:

• Plant purple kale alongside ornamental grasses for textural contrast
• Use eggplant as a focal point in container gardens
• Edge flower beds with purple lettuce varieties
• Incorporate purple basil into herb gardens for both culinary and visual appeal

Maintaining Your Purple Garden

Keeping purple plants looking their best requires specific care techniques tailored to their unique needs.

Soil Requirements for Purple Plants

Many purple plants have specific soil preferences that impact their color intensity:

1. pH Considerations

   Some purple plants, like hydrangeas, produce more intense color in acidic soil. Test soil pH and amend as needed for optimal color development.

2. Drainage Requirements

   Many Mediterranean plants with purple foliage (like lavender) require excellent drainage to prevent root rot.

3. Fertilization Strategies

   Excessive nitrogen can reduce color intensity in some purple plants. Use balanced, slow-release fertilizers for best results.

Seasonal Maintenance Tips

Keep your purple garden looking vibrant throughout the season with these maintenance practices:

• Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continued blooming
• Prune leggy growth to maintain compact form
• Protect tender purple plants from early frosts with row covers
• Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and regulate soil temperature
• Monitor for pests that specifically target purple plants (like aphids on purple kale)

Proper maintenance ensures purple plants remain vibrant throughout the autumn season

Advertisement

Conclusion: Embracing the Purple Revolution

The movement toward purple autumn gardens represents more than a passing trend—it's a fundamental shift in how Americans approach seasonal garden design. By embracing purple plants, gardeners are creating landscapes that offer visual interest, emotional resonance, and ecological benefits long after traditional autumn plants have faded.

Whether you're planting a few purple containers on a patio or transforming your entire landscape, incorporating purple into your autumn garden offers endless creative possibilities. From the sophisticated elegance of monochromatic schemes to the vibrant energy of complementary color combinations, purple provides versatility that few other colors can match.

As we look toward future autumn seasons, the purple garden revolution shows no signs of slowing down. With new purple plant varieties continually being developed and gardeners increasingly willing to experiment with unconventional color schemes, purple is poised to remain a dominant force in autumn garden design for years to come. So embrace the purple revolution—your garden (and your Instagram feed) will thank you.

© 2024 Garden Design Magazine. All rights reserved. This article is for informational purposes only.