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.