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Keep Your Garden on Point With Spikes of Purple
Tall purple blooms bridge color gaps, contrast round flower forms and make for intriguing masses in the landscape
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor based out of Hershey, PA. Come visit me at 'A Nest for All Seasons' where I write about design, photography and modern garden living!
I am a freelance editorial and wedding photographer and Houzz contributor... More »
“Purple-spiked plants" isn't an official gardening classification, but perhaps it should be. This particular color and form is a peacemaker in the garden and a favorite of gardeners from coast to coast.
From the lightest of lilac to the deepest royal purple and every shade in between, these purples can bridge the gap between yellow and white, green and pink or even orange and blue. And the spikes of these plants offer vertical interest in gardens full of roundness and circular forms.
You might think of lavender when you first hear the classification of "purple-spiked plants," but there is a world of other choices. Catmint, Russian sage, penstemon and salvia also benefit a variety of garden styles.
From the lightest of lilac to the deepest royal purple and every shade in between, these purples can bridge the gap between yellow and white, green and pink or even orange and blue. And the spikes of these plants offer vertical interest in gardens full of roundness and circular forms.
You might think of lavender when you first hear the classification of "purple-spiked plants," but there is a world of other choices. Catmint, Russian sage, penstemon and salvia also benefit a variety of garden styles.
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| The classic Russian Sage (Perovskia, USDA zones 6 to 9) gives lavender a run for its money as the most common purple plant in today's gardens. Easily massed and faster growing than lavender, this plant seems to mass and mix with ease in almost any environment. |
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by Andrew Keys
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| Catmint (Nepeta, USDA zones 3 to 9) is another fast-growing, easy-to-propagate plant that mimics lavender's growth habit and style. More about growing catmint |
| Buy just a few of these plants and they will quickly bloom into a small mass for you. |
| Penstemon (USDA zones 3 to 9) is another alternative that offers brilliantly hued flower spikes in a bright blue-purple. |
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| Salvia, or sage, has a wide range and can grow in almost any garden. This variety is called diviner's sage (Salvia divinorum, USDA zones 3 to 9). |
| Salvia is great in clumps or mixed in with larger, lighter blooms. Plant salvia when you need a little contrast for just a few pennies. These plants can be split and divided every few years for new, free plants. |
| Using Purple-Spiked Plants in the Garden Masses of purple-spiked plants look beautiful in almost any setting. From desert rock gardens to traditional cottage gardens and everything in between, these plants strikes a pretty, sweet chord. |
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The deepest of purples contrasts well against blue foliage, found in grasses such as blue fescue. Try pairing various purples with blues in the nursery or garden center before buying to find the best combination.
Mix any of the purple-spiked plants with purple globes of allium for a fun contrast of shape and height.
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| It's hard to go wrong with whichever purple-spiked plants you choose. They offer vertical interest and color every summer and provide pretty foliage throughout the growing season. They are all easy to care for and simple to divide for more plants. Each offers a distinct shade of purple to tone down whites and brights in your garden, and each blends well with a host of other plants. What more could you ask from a humble perennial? Tell us: How do you use purple spikes in your garden design? |
Ideabook updated on Nov. 13, 2012.
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One fall I was dividing some catmint clumps, removed a big one, set it in the garden with the clump exposed, got distracted with some crisis or other, and never took care of it before winter set in. Next spring, it was still green and growing and waiting for me, so I divided it and replanted. Gotta love a plant like that!
I have also used it to crowd out spearmint that escaped from a pot. It took a while and repeated sprays of Roundup, but eventually the catmint crowded the aggressive spearmint out.