Plants with purple and green leaves are a dramatic way to add lush color and bold contrasts to your garden or indoor space! The combination of dark purple leaves and green foliage makes these houseplants eye-catching, giving your flower beds and pots a rich, layered look. We’ve rounded up 18 captivating options to give your garden a stunning makeover!
18 Colorful Varieties of Plants With Purple and Green Leaves
1. Ajuga reptans ‘Black Scallop’
This lovely plant creates a carpet of color with its nearly black purple foliage edged in dark green. It blooms in late spring to early summer and, with its tiny purple flowers, makes for excellent ground cover in these months. It pairs well with other shade-loving companions in places where it’s difficult to grow grass.
2. Alternanthera dentata ‘Purple Knight’
Purple Knight has rich, dark purple leaves with hints of green around the edges. This annual plant is heat-tolerant, thrives under the sun, and loves soaking up the bright light. The stems grow upright and may even reach 3 feet tall. It’s easy to care for (pretty low maintenance), making it a standout choice for containers or borders.
3. Brassica rapa var. rosularis ‘Purple Tatsoi’ (Purple Tatsoi)
A member of the Brassica family, this leafy vegetable has purple leaves with green undertones. The best thing is that purple tatsoi isn’t just ornamental - it’s edible, too! It tastes like spinach and makes a great addition to mixed green salads.
4. Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides)
Also known as Painted Nettle, Coleus is much-loved for its multi-colored leaves with mixed patterns and shades of purple, lime green, and deep maroon. It’s a member of the mint family that’s easy to grow at home as a houseplant or bedding plant. You can place them in hanging baskets, containers, or a bed.
5. Colocasia esculenta ‘Black Magic’ (Black Magic Taro)
This dramatic plant has large, heart-shaped leaves in purple shades with green highlights, especially when young. It thrives in areas with moist soil, partial shade, and places that can protect its leaves from strong winds. Black taro is mostly grown for foliage, but it may infrequently produce flowers.
6. Gynura aurantiaca (Purple Velvet Plant)
Also known as Purple Passion, the purple velvet plant has fuzzy leaves with purple color and green undersides. It’s commonly grown as a houseplant and best displayed in hanging baskets. You might even see it blooming small, orange flowers in the right conditions.
7. Hemigraphis alternata (Purple Waffle Plant)
This textured, crinkly-looking plant has puckered, greenish tops and purple undersides, making it a lovely addition to your home or office space. As it’s low-growing, you can also use it as an undercover for taller indoor plants.
8. Hypoestes phyllostachya (Polka Dot Plant)
Polka dot plants come in many color combos, but perhaps one of the most charming has to be the purple-green variety. This tropical plant can be grown indoors or outdoors, and its speckled foliage and upright stems make it perfect for edging or as a container plant.
9. Ipomoea batatas ‘Sweet Caroline Purple’ (Sweet Potato Vine)
This ornamental vine features lobed purple leaves with greenish undertones and vigorous growth. It spreads quickly, making it an excellent ground cover, though its trailing stems make it a beautiful option to put in containers or hanging baskets. It flowers occasionally, despite not being grown for its blooms.
10. Oxalis triangularis (Purple Shamrock)
Also called False Shamrock, this plant isn’t a true member of the clover-like family despite its appearance. Purple shamrocks are a complete standout with deep violet and green leaves and stems. They’re pretty popular as a houseplant, but can be grown outdoors as they thrive in direct sunlight.
11. Oxalis tetraphylla ‘Iron Cross’
The Iron Cross is also known as the ‘Good Luck Plant’ with four 4-heart-shaped green leaflets marked with a dark purple cross at the center. Interestingly, the leaves open up during the day but retract at night, forming small umbrellas. They work well in containers or rock gardens.
12. Ocimum basilicum ‘Purpurascens’ (Purple Basil)
Another edible entry, this variety of basil offers both flavor and flair thanks to its deep purple leaves with green edges. It’s a great addition to summer dishes or green salads with tomatoes.
13. Strobilanthes dyerianus (Persian Shield)
The Persian shield is well known for its gorgeous purple leaves with green margins. It’s been grown since Victorian times and used as a stunning ornamental plant. The Persian shield thrives in hot and humid conditions, becoming large and bushy. It also grows in cooler climates, albeit smaller.
14. Stromanthe sanguinea (Tricolor Ginger)
This gorgeous plant features elongated green leaves with streaks of purple and burgundy undersides. Native to Brazil, it requires warm temperatures and high humidity to survive. Depending on the conditions, Tricolor ginger may grow from 3 to 5 feet tall.
15. Tradescantia pallida ‘Purpurea’ (Purple Heart)
Purple Heart boasts long, narrow purple leaves with hints of green at the base of the plant. It’s a tender perennial with sprawling stems that make it excellent as a ground cover, though it can also trail nicely in containers.
16. Tradescantia zebrina (Wandering Jew/Inch Plant)
The classic Wandering Jew (or Wandering Dude) is a captivating houseplant with silver-striped purple and green leaves. It’s a fast-growing, succulent plant, working well indoors in hanging baskets or as ground cover outdoors. Under the right conditions, it may sprout small purple flowers.
17. Tradescantia spathacea (Moses-in-the-Cradle)
Also called ‘Boat Lily,’ this upright perennial plant has sharp, sword-like green leaves with purple undersides. It’s widely used as an ornamental plant for its foliage, which is great for edging or placing in planters.
18. Calathea lietzei ‘White Fusion’ (White Fusion Calathea)
Our last entry for plants with purple and green leaves features marbled green and white leaves with purple undersides. White Fusion is highly sought-after since its beautiful and unique leaf patterns. Growing only to about 18 inches, it's a popular choice to add to places with a bit of tropical touch.
You Might Also Like
20 Unique Plants Featuring Black and White Flowers
Comments
No Comments