Foliage

Purple / Burgundy Foliage

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Purple-leaf Cootamundra Wattle · Acacia baileyana 'Purpurea' A fast small tree with ferny blue-grey foliage flushed purple on new growth, smothered in fragrant golden ball flowers in late winter. Showy but can self-seed beyond its range.
Crimson Queen Lace-leaf Maple · Acer palmatum 'Crimson Queen' A weeping, cascading lace-leaf maple with finely dissected deep crimson-red foliage that holds its colour exceptionally well through summer before brightening to scarlet in autumn.
Emperor Maple · Acer palmatum 'Emperor 1' A vigorous upright red-leaf maple similar to Bloodgood but leafing out later, helping it avoid late spring frosts. Holds dark purple-red colour well in summer heat before scarlet autumn tones.
Garnet Lace-leaf Maple · Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Garnet' A weeping, mound-forming lace-leaf maple with finely dissected garnet-red foliage that holds colour well through summer and deepens to crimson in autumn. Ideal as a cascading container specimen.
Inaba-shidare Lace-leaf Maple · Acer palmatum 'Inaba-shidare' A vigorous weeping lace-leaf maple with deeply dissected purple-red foliage that holds colour strongly through summer and turns crimson in autumn. One of the best red cascading cultivars.
Japanese Maple 'Beni-otake' · Acer palmatum 'Beni-otake' An upright maple with narrow, deeply divided strap-like purple-red leaves giving a fine bamboo-like texture. Holds rich colour through summer before turning crimson in autumn.
Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood' · Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' A reliable upright Japanese maple holding deep burgundy-purple foliage through summer before flaring to vivid scarlet in autumn. One of the best red-leaved cultivars for feature planting.
Japanese Maple 'Shaina' · Acer palmatum 'Shaina' A dwarf, dense-branching sport of 'Bloodgood' with clustered deep red-maroon foliage on a compact bushy frame. Holds colour well and brightens to crimson in autumn; ideal for pots and bonsai.
Japanese Maple 'Trompenburg' · Acer palmatum 'Trompenburg' A vigorous upright maple with distinctive deeply lobed purple-red leaves whose margins roll under, giving fine texture. Foliage holds colour through summer then turns crimson in autumn.
Purple Japanese Maple · Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' A seed-raised upright maple with rich purple-red palmate foliage in spring and summer, intensifying to brilliant scarlet in autumn. A long-grown, dependable feature tree.
Black Rose Aeonium · Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop' A standout cultivar with large rosettes of glossy near-black burgundy leaves on branching stems, the colour deepening in full sun before yellow flower cones appear. A dramatic dark feature plant.
Giant Bromeliad · Alcantarea imperialis A magnificent giant bromeliad forming a broad sculptural rosette over a metre across, often flushed wine-red, eventually throwing a towering branched flower spike. A dramatic architectural feature plant.
Rex Begonia · Begonia rex Grown purely for its spectacular foliage swirled in silver, purple, pink and green. A jewel-toned feature plant that loves humidity and bright, indirect light.
Wax Begonia · Begonia semperflorens Compact mounds of glossy green or bronze leaves dotted with flowers from spring to frost, in sun or shade. Tidy, weather-proof and self-cleaning bedding; mildly toxic to pets.
Dwarf Japanese Barberry · Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea Nana' A compact thorny deciduous shrub with rich burgundy-purple foliage that intensifies to fiery red in autumn. Its dense prickly growth makes a low barrier hedge or colour accent.
Rose Glow Barberry · Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow' A purple-leaved barberry whose new growth is mottled rose-pink and silvery-white over a deep wine base, deepening to scarlet in autumn. Thorny and colourful for hedging, though it can self-seed and is a weed risk in some regions.
Beetroot · Beta vulgaris · from $3.50 A cool-season root vegetable yielding sweet, earthy red roots and edible nutritious leaves. Reliable and easy from seed, with each knobbly cluster producing several seedlings.
Canna Lily · Canna indica Bold paddle-shaped leaves, often bronze or striped, topped by vivid tropical flowers all summer. Lush and fast in warmth, but the rhizomes can become invasive near waterways.
Celosia · Celosia argentea Flamboyant plumes or velvety brain-like crests in fiery colours that thrive in summer heat and humidity. Striking fresh or dried; loves warmth and resents cold, wet feet.
Albany Pitcher Plant · Cephalotus follicularis A rare carnivorous plant from south-west Western Australia, forming a low rosette of intricate ribbed, lidded pitchers that flush deep red in good light. A prized, slow-growing collector's species.
Forest Pansy Redbud · Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' A small deciduous tree prized for luminous heart-shaped leaves emerging deep burgundy-purple, with rosy-pink pea flowers studding the bare branches in early spring.
Weeping Redbud 'Ruby Falls' · Cercis canadensis 'Ruby Falls' A compact weeping redbud with cascading branches and heart-shaped deep purple foliage, with rosy-pink pea flowers along the stems in spring. A sculptural small feature for pots and courtyards.
Taro · Colocasia esculenta Enormous heart-shaped leaves on tall stalks, often flushed in dramatic dark purple. A water-loving tropical that makes a lush, bold feature in a bright, humid spot.
Ti Plant · Cordyline fruticosa Vivid strappy foliage flushed in pink, burgundy and green on upright stems. A colourful tropical accent that brightens warm, bright interiors.
Fishbone Prayer Plant · Ctenanthe burle-marxii Low, spreading clumps of pale leaves brushed with dark green fishbone bars and burgundy undersides. A lush, pet-safe groundcover-style foliage plant for shaded rooms.
Perle von Nurnberg · Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg' A sought-after hybrid rosette flushed in dusky lavender-pink and grey with a fine powdery bloom, intensifying to deeper purple tones in bright light. A signature feature plant for containers and arrangements.
Rubber Plant · Ficus elastica A robust indoor tree with thick, glossy oval leaves in deep green or burgundy tones. Tolerant and long-lived, it grows into a handsome upright specimen.
Claret Ash · Fraxinus angustifolia 'Raywood' A handsome shade tree with fine dark-green foliage that turns a deep wine-claret purple in autumn. Fast and adaptable, it is one of the most popular deciduous avenue trees.
Rattlesnake Plant · Calathea lancifolia Long, wavy-edged leaves spotted like a rattlesnake's skin with rich purple undersides. A lively, pet-safe Calathea that folds upright as evening falls.
Peacock Plant · Calathea makoyana Intricately feathered leaves with translucent peacock patterning and purple undersides. A pet-safe stunner that demands humidity and softened water.
Fred Ives Graptoveria · Graptoveria 'Fred Ives' A vigorous large rosette intergeneric hybrid in shifting shades of bronze, lilac and pinkish-purple with a soft bloom, easily offsetting into clusters. A showy, forgiving feature for pots and gardens.
Coral Bells · Heuchera hybrid Grown for mounds of ruffled foliage in caramel, burgundy, lime and silver that hold colour all year. Slender wands of tiny bell flowers rise above in spring.
Plum Pudding Coral Bells · Heuchera 'Plum Pudding' Glossy, silver-veiled plum-purple leaves form a neat mound topped by wispy cream flower stems. A reliable foliage perennial for shaded borders and pots.
Palace Purple Coral Bells · Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple' An award-winning coral bells grown for its mounds of deep bronze-purple maple-shaped leaves, with airy sprays of tiny cream flowers in summer. Thrives in shade as foliage colour.
Japanese Blood Grass · Imperata cylindrica 'Rubra' An ornamental grass grown for upright blades that emerge green and flush with deepening blood-red tips, glowing when backlit. Note the species is a serious weed, so confine to pots and remove any green-reverting shoots.
Burgundy Loropetalum · Loropetalum chinense 'Burgundy' A burgundy-leaved fringe flower with deep wine foliage smothered in spidery hot-pink blooms in spring and again in autumn. A bold contrast shrub for hedges and feature planting.
Chinese Fringe Flower · Loropetalum chinense 'China Pink' A burgundy-leaved shrub draped in spidery, fringed hot-pink flowers, repeating through the year against rich purple foliage. A striking colour-contrast feature, hedge or container plant.
Plum Gorgeous Loropetalum · Loropetalum chinense 'Plum Gorgeous' A robust fringe flower with rich plum-purple foliage and abundant pink tassel blooms, holding leaf colour strongly in full sun. Excellent for screening and bold colour blocks.
Purple Pixie Loropetalum · Loropetalum chinense 'Purple Pixie' A low, weeping fringe flower that spills and cascades, making it ideal as a purple groundcover or trailing over pots and walls. Pink spidery flowers stud the burgundy foliage in spring and autumn.
Prayer Plant · Maranta leuconeura Velvety leaves patterned with herringbone veins that fold up like praying hands at night. A charming, pet-safe trailer that loves warmth and humidity.
Snow in Summer · Melaleuca linariifolia 'Claret Tops' · from $17.95 A compact form of the popular paperbark with striking burgundy new growth maturing to green, and fluffy white summer flowers. Hardy and adaptable for hedges, screens and feature planting.
Blush Pink Nandina · Nandina domestica 'Blush Pink' A dwarf nandina prized for soft pink to coral new growth in the warmer months, deepening to red in winter. A colourful, low-care choice for pots and edging.
Dwarf Sacred Bamboo · Nandina domestica 'Nana' A compact mounding shrub grown for fine ferny foliage that turns brilliant red and burgundy in cold weather. Tough and low, it makes a colourful mass planting or low border. Berries are toxic to pets.
Flirt Nandina · Nandina domestica 'Flirt' A very dwarf, dense nandina with deep red new growth that holds rich burgundy and crimson tones year-round. Sterile and tidy, perfect for edging and pots.
Obsession Nandina · Nandina domestica 'Obsession' A compact nandina with intense ruby-red new foliage contrasting against deep green older leaves, intensifying again in winter. Bushy and uniform for low hedges and borders.
Fireball Bromeliad · Neoregelia 'Fireball' A small clustering bromeliad whose narrow rosettes blaze deep red in bright light and multiply freely on stolons to form a dense mat. Superb in containers, hanging displays and as a tropical groundcover.
Bird's Nest Bromeliad · Nidularium innocentii A shade-loving rosette of dark, often maroon-backed leaves whose centre forms a nest of bright red bracts cradling white flowers. Excellent groundcover bromeliad for deep shade under trees.
Black Mondo Grass · Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Nigrescens' A striking strappy-leaf groundcover forming spreading tufts of near-black arching foliage, with small mauve flowers and black berries. A dramatic contrast plant for edging, pots and pebble gardens.
Purple Fountain Grass · Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum' A showy fountain grass with arching burgundy-purple foliage and soft furry pink-purple flower spikes that nod gracefully. Frost-tender and usually grown as a feature or container highlight.
Husker Red Beardtongue · Penstemon 'Husker Red' An award-winning beardtongue grown for its deep maroon-red foliage topped by airy spires of white, pink-flushed flowers. Cold-hardy, drought-tolerant and a striking foliage-and-flower combination.
Emerald Ripple Peperomia · Peperomia caperata A tidy little plant with deeply corrugated, heart-shaped leaves in rich green or burgundy. Pet-safe and compact, topped with slender rat-tail flower spikes.
Pink Princess Philodendron · Philodendron erubescens 'Pink Princess' A sought-after climber prized for dark, near-black leaves splashed with bubblegum-pink variegation. A standout collector's aroid that needs bright indirect light to keep its colour.
Black Cherry Plum · Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' A popular flowering plum with deep blackish-purple foliage held all season and single pale-pink blossoms wreathing the bare branches in early spring. A reliable purple-leaf feature tree.
Blireana Plum · Prunus x blireana A popular flowering plum with rich coppery-purple foliage and fragrant double rose-pink blossoms in early spring. A compact, rounded feature tree holding purple colour all season.
Flowering Plum · Prunus ×blireana A small deciduous tree carrying double rose-pink blossoms in early spring followed by coppery-purple foliage that holds its colour through the warmer months. A popular suburban feature.
Matrona Stonecrop · Sedum 'Matrona' An award-winning stonecrop with purple-tinged stems and grey-mauve fleshy leaves topped by soft pink flower heads. Strongly upright, drought-hardy and alive with pollinators in autumn.
Ruby Glow Stonecrop · Sedum 'Ruby Glow' Low, spreading stems of blue-purple fleshy leaves carry flat heads of glowing ruby-red flowers in late summer. A compact, drought-hardy stonecrop alive with bees and butterflies.
Hens and Chicks · Sempervivum tectorum An extremely hardy alpine succulent forming tight rosettes that cluster into colonies of offsets, the leaves often blushed red at the tips. Famously frost-proof and ideal for rockeries and troughs.
Triostar Stromanthe · Stromanthe thalia 'Triostar' Bold leaves streaked cream, green and pink with vivid magenta undersides that flash when they move. A dramatic, pet-safe statement plant that craves humidity.
Wandering Jew · Tradescantia zebrina A fast trailing plant with shimmering leaves striped silver and purple above, vivid purple below. Easy and vigorous, it cascades brilliantly from a hanging basket.
Ornamental Grape · Vitis vinifera 'Purpurea' A deciduous tendril climber grown for its dramatic foliage, opening grey-pink and deepening to wine-purple before turning rich crimson in autumn. A handsome, shade-giving cover for pergolas.
Weigela · Weigela florida 'Wine and Roses' A deciduous shrub combining deep wine-purple foliage with masses of rosy-pink trumpet flowers that attract birds. The dark leaves give strong contrast all season in a mixed border.