32 Purple Flowering Annual Flowers to Beautify Your Garden (2024)

As people become more eco-friendly, gardening has become a fun and satisfying hobby that adds some color and life to an otherwise plain lawn. This trend has been growing since 2014 and doesn't show any sign of slowing down.

For folks that want to add some color to their garden, purple is an easy color to work in. With how readily they stand out from the rest of the greenery, purple flowers add color and contrast to gardens with just their blooms.

Let's look at 32 different varieties of purple flowering annual flowers that you could add to your garden for that splash of royal color!

Purple Geranium

These flowers have an open petal arrangement with their five purple petals in an open cluster. Geraniums tend to grow well in sunny and partially shaded areas, so long as their soil has good drainage.

Typically, these flowers are best for beddings or hanging baskets. These flowers grow quickly and vibrantly with regular water and some extra fertilizer once a week. Geraniums can be repotted easily, meaning you can transfer or prune them as needed without killing the plant.

Morning Glory

Morning glories grow as scaling vines, with purple blossoms that open into a saucer shape. They get their name because the flowers open up during the morning and close up after the sun sets for the day.

Thankfully, these pretty plants don't need much care. Once set, moist soil and pruning during the first frost will keep morning glories from growing past where they should.

Annual Vinca Flowers

The five petals of the Vinca flower have a white eye or a central dot on the petals devoid of the purple pigment in the rest of the petals. Along with their teardrop petal shape, Vicna flowers are vibrant and easy to recognize.

These flowers respond well to hot weather. They do best in full sunlight, making them great for garden centerpieces.

Impatiens

Known for their daring bloom color and easy maintenance, impatiens are another beautiful purple flower for gardens. The petals open up to a bright yellow center.

Impatiens grow best in partial or full shade, and they work best as a bedding plant. That's not to say they can't work well in pots or containers, too, so long as they don't get exposed to direct sunlight.

Matthiola

While Matthiolas don't have the same vibrant purple color as other purple annuals, they have a wonderful perfume smell. The aroma is a warm, spicy scent that differs from most other plants.

These flowers don't appreciate warm weather, making them great for colder climates and places that start their growing season early. They grow best when barely covered with soil as seeds and watered once or twice a week.

Snapdragon

This vine-like plant has a well-known trumpet-shaped bloom of a deep purple hue. The stalks of the snapdragon grow straight up, causing the flowers to grow in tight clusters that can last through an entire summer.

Snapdragons grow best when they have access to full sunlight. Snapdragons can multiply with some well-draining soil and light watering once or twice a week.

African Daisy

African daisies look similar to the Western varieties commonly seen in gardens, but with a slight change. The central eye of the African daisy has a more complex structure, making it visually distinct from other species.

Since these flowers hail from sandy and rocky environments, their soil must be well-drained and not overwatered. The climate won't matter too much, as the flower seems well-adapted to hot and cooler environments.

Sweet Alyssum

The flowers of sweet alyssum plants grow in large clusters and bloom into small, light purple flowers with four to five petals. The flowers give off a lively perfume, bringing a wonderful scent to gardens that keep these plants around.

Typically, sweet alyssum is used as an accent flower in more extensive gardens or as a way to bring color to an arid landscape. As plants that are well-adapted to hot areas, their soil needs to be able to drain well.

Lilac Eye Dianthus

Considered a daring addition to a garden, Lilac Eye Dianthus plants are a great addition to a garden looking for a homey feel. Dianthus tends to be in cottage-style and similar rural landscaping.

Lilac Eye Dianthus are versatile in their environments and conditions, making them great for almost any garden. Watering the soil when it gets dry and adding fertilizer every six to eight weeks covers virtually all of the maintenance these flowers need.

Petunias

Petunias are a popular choice for gardens because of their rich, purple petals and unique bloom shape. The halo effect created by the open petals catches the eye and makes for a great focal point for a garden or landscape.

Also, petunias often get recommended to new gardeners since these flowers don't need much maintenance to grow vibrant and tall.

Calibrachoa

Also thought of as miniature petunias, Calibrachoa flowers have a purple bloom that looks like a small trumpet. The central eye of the bloom is yellow instead of black, so these flowers do have a charm of their own separate from petunias.

These flowers require a little more maintenance than a petunia, though, especially if kept in a container or pot. The soil needs to stay moist, especially in hot areas, and you should add fresh fertilizer regularly.

Monkey Flower

While the name might sound strange, these flowers get their name from the "face" created by the petal shape and coloration. Together, these blooms look like a monkey's face, hence the name.

Regardless of their name, these vibrant purple annuals need a little more care than some of the other blooms on this list. Their soil needs to stay moist, meaning a layer of mulch on top of the earth is required, especially in places with hot summers.

Wishbone Flower

While the trumpet-shaped bloom of the Wishbone flower might look delicate, these hardy plants can stand up to quite a bit. Still, the purple and white of the petals easily stand out from the light green of the stem.

As ground-hugging flowers, the Wishbone flower tends to work best in a garden bed. Though these flowers can stand up to the heat of summer, regular water and fertilizer will keep these plants thriving for the whole year.

Larkspur

While larkspur doesn't have the grand appeal as other visually distinct blooms, it makes a great way to add some color to taller sections of the garden with their three-foot height.

Larkspur doesn't need much maintenance, doing well in just about any moderate climate. A few varieties of this plant grow naturally in lawns and other landscapes.

Cleome

Cleomes have a unique shape thanks to the bristle-like protrusion that comes out of the central point of each flower cluster. Each cluster also has a handful of delicate petals in the distinct purple hue.

Usually, cleomes are used in gardens as a focal point alongside a fence line or in the back of the garden. The pollen created by these plants does a great job attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

Nicotiana

Also known as flowering tobacco, nicotiana is another iconic cottage flower. The nicotiana flower has a strong floral scent along with its purplish-pink petals.

Outside of watering, gardeners need to ensure that they trim off old blooms. The nicotiana plant can only grow so many buds, meaning that dead or dying flowers take up space that a vibrant flower could fill.

Ageratum

Another long-used and well-loved flower, ageratum blooms into lilac-colored, spiky petals with a large central eye. These flowers cluster together at the top of the plant, creating pockets of light purple flowers that catch the eye with their spikes of color.

Ageratum is different from many other plants in that using warm water until the plant starts to bloom is the best way to get vibrant flowers.

Bellflower

While bellflowers look like they have blooms similar to other species with trumpet-shaped flowers, they have split petals that go farther but don't entirely separate. This "nodding head" bloom makes bellflowers unique compared to their other purple annual brethren.

Even as an annual flower, bellflowers are hardy and easy to take care of. Regular watering and removal of dead flowers promote growth for the plant without too much work for the gardener.

Lavender

Many folks know the comforting, somewhat sweet smell of lavender, but the plant itself makes for a beautiful addition to a garden. The stalks of the lavender plant grow into clusters of small, purple blooms that stand relatively tall.

Lavender can do well in many areas, but places that experience little to no rain are great for lavender plants. Lavender seedlings tend to be easier to grow than ungerminated seeds, but both work best with adequate drainage and lots of sun.

Cosmos

Cosmos are one of the quintessential summer flowers, with large, bright purple blooms and a complex central eye. The height of the flower varies between one and four feet, meaning gardens can have an organic look just by using different kinds of cosmos.

Hot and dry climates will work best for these flowers. In addition, the soil needs to be no better than average for its quality and mineral content since these flowers evolved to grow in dry areas.

Foxgloves

For gardens looking to add vertical elements or a stately presence, foxgloves are the go-to plant for this visual. Foxgloves can reach up to six feet in height, making them easy to spot between their verticality and their bright purple, trumpet-shaped flowers.

Moist soil with plenty of nutrients makes for the best foundation to grow foxgloves. These plants tend to prefer full sun or partial shade, but some varieties work well in full shade.

Lilacs

Another classic purple flower, lilacs have beautiful blooms and intense fragrance. These long-lived plants can become a centerpiece for a garden if allowed to grow to their full, 30-foot height.

Soil with compost mixed in and an occasional watering tend to be enough for these hardy plants to grow well. However, lilacs can be prone to borers and other pests, so keep an eye out for damage to the plant's stalk if you decide to grow some lilacs.

Lupines

Tall and spiky, lupines are another way to add verticality to a garden without growing a full hedge. Often, these flowers act as a breeding ground for certain types of endangered butterflies, making them essential in expanding those butterfly populations.

Lupines grow from a taproot instead of a regular root system, which makes moving them difficult. So, if you want to ensure these flowers grow tall and vibrant, plant them in a sunny area with soil that drains well.

Lisianthus

Also known as the Texas bluebell or prairie roses, lisianthus flowers add elegant color and verticality to almost any summer garden. The white and purple petals of the lisianthus stand out compared to many of the monochrome flowers on this list.

These plants do best when paired with other bedding plants and flowers that do well in well-drained soil. This partnership helps keep the lisianthus from getting too much water and lets the multi-branch system grow tall.

Purple Pansies

Purple pansies make for a great border, container plant, or potted flowers with their broad flowers and beautiful colors. With the number of literary references to these flowers, it is easy to see that these plants impacted many centuries of gardening.

As for their care, pansies do best with full sunlight or light shade with rich, moist soil. You won't have to do too much other maintenance for these flowers.

Wisteria

Wisteria grows in drooping vines that fit well with overhangs or pergolas, making them a popular decorative plant. The flowers, when open, create a wonderful scent as well. However, since they only bloom in spring and early summer, these sights and smells don't last all year.

These plants grow aggressively. You won't want to plant these vines near a building or fences since the vines grow into any nook or cranny they find. So, most maintenance of wisteria involves trimming back overgrown vines and ensuring they don't cause any damage to your garden's structures.

Sea Holly

While not a standard inclusion for many gardens, sea holly adds a level of texture to gardens that other flowers cannot replicate. The spiny petals and teasel-like blossoms look more like something that belongs in the ocean.

Despite its strange appearance, sea holly is not hard to grow. With access to full sunlight, moist soil, and solid drainage, sea holly can grow to their full size of three feet.

Hydrangea

While hydrangeas can change their color based on the soil conditions, purple hydrangeas are beautiful and can show other gardeners that you are a master of controlling your garden's soil. The clusters of flowers look beautiful and disguise this plant's ability to fight off pests and disease.

Hydrangeas prefer rich, moist soil that has good drainage. They need to be planted in spring after the chance of frost goes away.

Starlet Dianthus

Though they have the nickname "pinks," dianthus flowers can bloom into a pinkish-purple color similar to magenta. When bloomed, the flowers give off a spicy fragrance instead of the usual sweet smell many other flowers use to attract insects.

Much like daisies, dianthus makes for great border flowers and potted plants. The plant only needs watering when the soil is dry and fertilizer once every six to eight weeks. These flowers also need about six hours of sun per day to grow fully, so avoid planting them in less than partial shade.

Clematis

Although varied in their type and lifespan, flowering clematis vines are amazing to look at and commonly used in home landscaping. Their large blooms have six oblong petals that end in a point. They also have a complex eye in the center colored yellow with red accents.

Most types of clematis need sunny conditions to grow well. They also need cool soil, accomplished with ground cover or bedding plants around where the clematis vine starts. Clematis also needs a pole or structure of some kind to grow tall.

Purple Daisies

While they might seem plain compared to other flowers, daises have a simple shape and color that appeals to those looking for something homely. They also make for great filler or bedding in more complex gardens.

Daises can grow well in most soil and water conditions, meaning most gardeners can open a pack of seeds and sprinkle them around without too much thought.

Cornflowers

While they have a similar shape to carnations, cornflowers are the vibrant, easier-to-grow cousin. The name for the flower comes from its association with growing as a weed in fields of corn or wheat. Nowadays, home gardeners appreciate this flower's shape and bright purple petals as a way to add color to their garden.

Cornflowers need a good amount of water every week to grow tall. The soil needs to be well-drained to prevent fungal infections. The flower works well in average soil conditions, but poor soil can be made okay for cornflowers with fertilizer mixed in once a month.

Summary

Most of the purple flowering annual flowers here require little to no extra maintenance outside of what a gardener typically needs to do. For other ideas for your home garden, check out our other guides to see what colors and flowers you could fill your garden with!