Trees are a lovely feature of every yard, and they add value to a property. Trees provide shade, clean the air, and attract wildlife, such as beneficial insects, butterflies, squirrels, and birds.
Trees with lavender, lilac, or violet flowers are great for brightening up your landscape in the spring and summer. They also attract pollinators such as bees to your garden.
Flowering trees can spruce up any home garden or outdoor space. However, choosing the right type is important if you want to achieve a certain look for your garden.
Let’s look at crowd-favorite, purple-flowered trees. You might find one or two that will look perfect for your outdoor space.
1. Jacaranda
Jacarandas (jacaranda mimosifolia) are one of the most popular flowering trees due to their magnificent long-lasting blossoms. They thrive in warm climates with full sun throughout the day.
Their branches form a canopy that looks like an inverted umbrella. Its fern-like leaves can reach a length of 20 inches, making the jacaranda an ideal shade tree.
Jacarandas can grow to be 32 to 50 feet tall and just as wide, so they require a lot of space in the garden. It grows quickly, gaining about 10 feet of height per year in the first few years.
2. Crape Myrtle
The Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, northern Australia, and areas of Oceania are home to the Crape Myrtle (lagerstroemia). Its height ranges from 1 foot to 100 feet. However, all of the species are woody in structure and have gorgeous winter bark.
The Crape Myrtle thrives in warm southern areas. It is commonly used in both residential and commercial landscaping.
It is well-known for its vibrant, long-lasting flowers that bloom throughout the summer and fall. Purple is the most common and popular flower color, but other types produce red, pink, and white flowers as well. Hummingbirds in the surrounding area are drawn to the flowers.
3. Chaste Tree
Despite its name, the Chaste Tree (vitex agnus-castus) is a fast-growing shrub in the Verbena family—not a tree. It can grow to be 15 to 20 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide.
Chaste Trees produce grayish-green, palm-shaped leaves that smell just as good as the blue and violet flowers that bloom from early summer to early fall.
When in bloom, the Chaste Tree attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. This shrub has a lovely scent that will attract many pollinators.
Chaste Trees thrive in dry, well-drained soil. After they are established, you won’t need to water them anytime soon. The poorer the soil, the better for this plant.
4. Desert Willow
Chilopsis linearis ‘Burgundy’ is a drought-tolerant shrub that attracts hummingbirds. It bears fragrant, burgundy to purple trumpet-shaped flowers in clusters.
The Burgundy desert willow, despite its bent shape, is not a willow. It grows to a height of 15 to 30 feet. This plant prefers well-drained soil and full sun. Because of its low water requirements, it is perfect for rock gardens and xeriscapes.
Desert willows are also excellent for containers. Just remember to water them more frequently if they are in a container, especially during the hottest days of summer.
5. Lilac Bush
Lilac bushes (syringa vulgaris) can reach a height of 15 feet and can be cultivated as shrubs or tiny trees. They are strong, low-maintenance plants that bloom in late April or May with long-lasting lilac or lavender flowers.
Lilacs are famous for their fragrant flowers that attract butterflies and caterpillars. They look great in bouquets as well.
Although lilacs like bright sunlight, they cannot tolerate hot, humid conditions. They prefer well-drained, moist or sandy soil that is acidic or alkaline.
6. ‘Purple Robe’ Locust
The fragrant ‘Purple Robe’ Locust Tree reaches 30 to 50 feet in height and is an improvement on the Black Locust Tree. Its Wisteria-like purple flowers attract pollinators from the surrounding areas in the spring.
This fast-growing, medium-sized ornamental flowering tree can survive harsh environmental conditions. While it provides nice shade, its branches have thorns, so use caution when handling it.
It can grow in a range of soil types, but it should not be planted in flood-prone areas because it cannot tolerate standing water.
7. Purple Orchid Tree
The purple orchid tree (bauhinia purpurea) is a perennial tropical tree native to India and Myanmar. It can reach a height of 17 feet and thrives in full sun all day.
Orchid trees are lovely flowering plants that require little attention and prefer warm areas. They have beautiful purple or pink flowers that look like orchid flowers and bloom from summer through winter.
Ideal conditions include loam or sandy soil with mild shade. Once established, the tree does not like to get disturbed, so transplanting it will be difficult.
8. Hibiscus Tree
The Rose of Sharon, also known as hibiscus syriacus, is a multi-stemmed shrub that can be grown into a tree. Some kinds, like the Purple Pillar, naturally grow in a single vertical column of stems.
Hummingbirds and butterflies are drawn to the beautiful violet flowers that bloom from midsummer to fall, with each blossom lasting only one day.
The hibiscus tree thrives in full light and well-drained soil. It is naturally deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and salt-tolerant. The shrub can grow to be 12 feet tall and is best propagated through cuttings because certain species produce infertile seeds.
9. Dogwood
Dogwoods, or cornus florida, are generally known for their white flowers. However, the Purple Glory dogwood variety has purple leaves all year long and burgundy blossoms in the spring and early summer. In the fall, the leaves turn scarlet before dropping off.
Purple Glory dogwood trees can grow to be 15 to 20 feet tall, so make sure you have adequate space for them. They require a consistent source of moderate moisture during the dry season. Overall, they grow best in locations with moderate winters and hot summers.
