Plants with purple and green leaves add an eye-catching accent to any garden and produce flowers that add even more beauty.
Many of these plants are easy to cultivate in sunny spots. Crimson pink calathea is hardy in most environments and thrives as a houseplant. This houseplant requires bright indirect lighting and regular watering on a timer schedule to stay healthy.
Vervain
Vervain, a perennial herb from the Verbenaceae family with long leaves and vibrant blue-purple flowers that attract pollinators like butterflies and bumblebees, grows best when exposed to full sunlight and is native to North America; you may find it along roadsides or tall grassy fields naturally or planted as part of flower beds as a garden plant.
Purpletop vervain is an easy plant to maintain, as its fertilization needs are minimal. Once per year in late winter or early spring is sufficient; overfeeding could damage its health.
Tisane made from vervain relaxes both body and mind, relieving insomnia and soothing an upset stomach. Furthermore, this tea is used as an effective treatment for menstrual cramps and an effective galactagogue to increase milk production in nursing mothers – also providing relief for hormonal headaches.
Vervain tea can also be an effective way to utilize its properties as an antimicrobial and antibacterial agent, making it helpful in fighting infections and preventing illnesses while acting as an effective antidepressant (according to research published by Basic and Clinical Neuroscience) with rats who consumed vervain extract experiencing antidepressant effects. Furthermore, vervain’s antimicrobial properties have inspired studies to use it against antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains.
Although vervain tisane offers many health advantages, pregnant women should avoid drinking it during gestation as animal studies suggest that its consumption could negatively impact fetal development, interfere with weight gain and reduce bone ossification in their unborn fetuses.
Purpletop vervain does not fare well in hot climates, making protection during the summer imperative. Shadecloth should be placed over it, or water should be applied frequently via mister or hose – both will prevent overheating that could damage its foliage and result in its wilting or further harm to growth.
Lavender
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is the flower most synonymous with Southern France, where it’s grown on vast fields for use as perfume and household products. Though native to Mediterranean climates, lavender thrives throughout most of Europe – from sunny coastal environments to cooler inland ones – and once established, it becomes highly drought tolerant once planted into gardens or against walls. It can even serve as an effective hedge plant.
“Mona Lavender” is a hybrid cultivar created in the 1990s from two South African perennial evergreen lavender plants: Plectranthus saccatus and Plectranthus hilliardiae ssp Australia ‘Magwa.” This variety possesses the upright stems of French lavender and beautiful purple blooms unique to South African species, earning the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit status and growing well in rock gardens, borders, or flower beds while also looking great when used in containers!
Like its cousins, ‘Mona Lavender’ requires minimal care once established. Although it may become leggy if given insufficient indirect lighting, this can be corrected by pruning back stalks until leaves cover them – as with all lavender varieties, it must also receive enough moisture but should still drain off freely to avoid root rot.
Harvesting lavender is possible at any time of year; however, for optimal oil yield, it is best to wait until about one-third of its flowerheads have opened before taking harvesting action. Deadheading will help further encourage flowering.
To propagate lavender, two options exist: division or cuttings from mature, healthy plants. If using cuttings from mature, healthy plants, they should be placed in a container filled with high-quality, sterile potting soil and regularly watered until roots appear; at this time, transplanting will occur ideally during spring or fall. However, late planting may increase risks as they will be less likely to establish over winter.
Coleus
Coleus is an attractive heat-tolerant foliage plant ideal for ground cover or container planting. Easy to care for and thriving in light shade and full sunlight conditions, it makes an excellent addition to hanging baskets, garden beds, and mass containers as it produces spikes of flowers that attract butterflies in late summer.
Coleus propagation can best be accomplished by cuttings taken in spring or summer from mature plants; these cuttings should root quickly without needing rooting hormone or mist units for embedding. Alternatively, seeds can also be planted during late fall or early spring.
Coleus are versatile plants with many varieties that range in both colors and textures, spanning the spectrum of textures from extremely pointed leaves with burgundy interiors and lime green margins to small pastel purple plants like Purple Duckfoot with jagged green edges featuring hot pink centers with more unusual varieties like El Brighto has long pointed leaves with wavy margins of pink and bright yellow leaves – providing plenty of interest!
Your coleus plant requires adequate water; however, beware of getting its soil soggy; this could lead to leaf drop and root rot issues. Water regularly but lightly to maintain moist conditions in its pot. Furthermore, fertilize your coleus regularly using slow-release all-purpose plant food according to the manufacturer’s directions; pinch out new growth tips regularly to encourage branching and bushiness of its shape.
If your coleus plant appears leggy or sparse, this could be caused by insufficient light overwatering or damage from frost damage, which has altered its leaves, leading to distortion and discoloration.
Coleus plants can be toxic to dogs and cats if consumed, although no deaths have been reported as yet. When consumed by your pets it may cause discomfort and skin irritation; thus, if you own pets, it would be wise to plant coleus outside or in a pot where it will remain safe from their reach.
Phlox
Phlox blooms throughout summer, providing vibrant hues at just the time when other plants begin to fade. Various cultivar options exist to find an abundant shade or sun perennial plant with purple and green leaves to suit any garden setting. Phlox blends well with herbaceous perennials and annuals like abelias, campanulas, delphiniums, echinaceas, heucheras, lilyturfs, monardas, petunias poppies red hot pokers; its beauty also blends beautifully with ornamental grasses and roses.
Garden phlox is an attractive perennial, hardy to -40 degrees F, and the perfect addition to shade gardens. The name comes from the Greek word for flame (phlox), while P. Paniculata refers to how flower stalks rise into an arch of blooms known as a panicle of flowers. When first planting garden phlox, water it well for best root development; otherwise, minimal irrigation should suffice unless the weather becomes extremely dry. Watering early in the morning, foliage and flowers have enough time to cool down and bloom fully before evening sundown!
Phlox subulata ‘Sherwood Purple is an ideal addition to woodland gardens, featuring rich green foliage covered with tiny delicate blooms ranging from light lavender to deep pink or even white hues. A perfect choice for filling gaps in any garden space, such as rock gardens, pathways, xeriscapes, or pollinator gardens!
Creeping Phlox should be planted in full sun to partial shade environments and amended with compost and humus for best results. They prefer an acidic to neutral pH range and thrive even in complex soil types like rocks, gravelly, sandy, etc. To control weeds, mulching regularly with an organic material helps prevent excessive moisture levels and any fungal issues; shearing can keep compactness while fertilizing regularly with balanced plant food is recommended to boost blooming potential and encourage new blooms. These blooming perennials tend to be pest-free, although powdery mildew may become an issue; to minimize this, spray the foliage and stems with homemade mildew preventative spray in late spring with a homemade mildew control spray solution explicitly made to combat it!