Purple, the color of mystery and profound depth, often denotes nobility, purity, and mystique when seen in flowers. Do you know any purple flowers?
I present to you the top ten most beautiful purple flowers, including Wei Zi, Cornflower, Lavender, Violet, Clematis, Purple Magnolia, and German Iris.
Let’s explore them together.
1. Wei Zi – Queen of Peonies
Among purple flowers, the Purple Peony, especially Wei Zi, stands out. This variety, originating from the Luoyang Weirenbo family during the Five Dynasties era, is celebrated for its extreme double-petal beauty.
It offers a warm and passionate aesthetic that conveys success, festivity, wealth, and auspiciousness, making it highly ornamental.
In “Record of Luoyang Peonies,” Ouyang Xiu shares the history of Wei Zi. He mentions that during the Five Dynasties, a woodcutter from Shou’an Mountain dug up a peony and sold it to Wei Renpu’s family.
This Wei is different from the other Wei. An old Song poem states, “Yao Wei has always been boasted in Luoyang, expensive to buy in its glory,” suggesting that Yao Huang and Wei Zi have been considered valuable for over a thousand years.
Wei Zi, with its long flowering period, abundance of flowers, and full blooms, is often hailed as the “Queen of Flowers.”
2. Cornflower – Germany’s National Flower
Originally a wild flower, Cornflower has been cultivated over the years to lessen its wild nature and increase the size and variety of its flowers.
It comes in purple, blue, light red, white, and other varieties, with purple and blue being the most precious. Germans admire Cornflowers for their vivid colors, beautiful forms, fragrant scent, and resilient vitality, making it their national flower.
Undoubtedly, the purple Cornflower is one of the most beautiful purple flowers, with its graceful stature and elegant bloom. It is often used as a cut flower.
3. Lavender – The Queen of Herbs
When asked about beautiful purple flowers, many people would think of Lavender.
As the most representative of purple flowers, the lavender’s bloom is a captivating purple. Known as the “Plant of Tranquil Fragrance” or “The Beauty of Fragrant Herbs,” Lavender, originally from the Mediterranean region, is widely grown in Provence, France, England, and Yugoslavia.
Lavender’s flower language means “fragrance.” When you arrive at a lavender field, you will often be unconsciously attracted by its unique scent, hence the title “The Queen of Herbs.
4. African Violet – The Queen of Indoor Flowers
Among various purple flowers, the African Violet is particularly well-known. Also called Saintpaulia, it is often hailed as the “Queen of Indoor Flowers,” making it an excellent ornamental indoor plant.
The African Violet originates from the tropical regions of East Africa. It’s a petite and delicate plant with a multitude of cultivated varieties, including large-flowered, single-petal, semi-double, double, variegated leaf types, etc. Its vibrant flower colors range from purple-red, white, blue, pink to bicolor.
With its exquisitely beautiful form and vibrant leaves, it flowers year-round, making it a famous potted flower internationally and particularly popular in Europe and America.
5. Clematis – The Queen of Vine Flowers
One of the top ten beautiful purple flowers, Clematis is a high-end flower introduced from abroad. Also known as Clematis Peony, it earned its name because its blooms during the flowering season are as beautiful as peonies.
Although the petals aren’t as large as peonies, the value for ornamental use is very high when the small petals cluster together. Unlike the delicate blooms of peonies, it gives off a majestic aura.
With its multicolored blooms resembling a brilliant rainbow, it enjoys the reputation of the “Queen of Vine Flowers,” typically showcasing white and purple colors.
6. Purple Magnolia – Endangered Plant
Purple Magnolia is arguably one of the most beautiful purple flowers. Compared to some bluish-purple flowers, Purple Magnolia leans towards a reddish-purple, boasting vibrant and pleasing blooms with a subtle, elegant fragrance. It’s beautiful whether planted alone or in clusters.
Its graceful shape and abundant flowers make it an excellent choice for gardens and street greenery. It has not only an alluring shape and scent, high ornamental value, and is relatively pest-free, but also its buds, known as Xin Yi, have been a main ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine for treating nasal conditions for over 2000 years.
It’s a traditional flower and medicinal plant with a history spanning more than 2000 years in China. It’s listed in the “IUCN Red List of Threatened Species” and is difficult to transplant and maintain, making it a highly prized plant.
7. German Iris – Important Cut Flower Material
Iris is made up of six petal-like leaves forming a sheath, with three or six stamens and an ovary wrapped in the pistil. The flower shape resembles a dancing butterfly, with color varying based on the cultivated variety.
German Iris often comes in light purple, blue-purple, deep purple, or white. This flower is cold-tolerant and grows robustly. It comes in deep purple, pure white, peach red, light purple, and other colors, making it an excellent flowering ground cover plant.
It is commonly used in garden greenery for flower bed and flower border arrangements. It can also be pot-grown for appreciation and is an important cut flower material.
8. Wisteria – One of the Four Traditional Vine Flowers
To me, Wisteria is the most beautiful purple flower. The purple of Wisteria is elegant yet appears more gentle and passionate. The flower crown resembles a butterfly, and when in bloom, it’s as if thousands of purple butterflies are dancing.
Combined with its twisted branches and vibrant green leaves, each spring when it blooms, it’s like a curtain of romantic purple dreams. The vine is long and naturally curved, making it easy to style.
When trained to grow on trellises, green galleries, or rocks, it’s like a purple waterfall, swaying in the wind – a sight too beautiful to belong to this world.
9. Bellflower – Popular European Flower
The Bellflower is another purple blooming flower. Its name originates from the term “bell,” which aptly describes the bell-like shape of its blossoms.
Visually, Bellflowers are very bright and attractive, available in white, purple, blue, red, and more, offering a splash of color. They are among the most common herbaceous flowers in small European courtyards.
As an annual herbaceous plant, Bellflowers are often considered the star of the flowerbed by gardeners. Planted in flowerbeds or along the edges of parks, they serve as ornamental city plants and contribute to the city’s beautiful scenery.
10. Purple Leaf Oxalis – Excellent Potted/ Ground Cover Plant
Purple Leaf Oxalis is a very attractive purple flower. Its leaves display a vibrant purplish-red color, and some varieties have purplish-black blotches inside their leaves, similar to a butterfly’s pattern.
The inflorescence is umbel-shaped, with a light purple or white corolla that turns pale pink at the tips. With its unique leaf shape, deep purple leaf color, and contrasting white flowers, it’s incredibly striking. Its spreading habit can create a beautiful purple patch.
If planted alongside other green and colorful plants, it forms contrasting color blocks, creating a three-dimensional, layered, and elegant effect that showcases its dignified beauty.
Peggie was once a high school mathematics teacher, but she set aside her chalkboard and textbooks to follow her lifelong passion for flowers. After years of dedication and learning, she not only established a thriving flower shop but also founded this blog, “Flowers Library”. Here, Peggie shares the art and science of floristry, offers practical tips for nurturing plants, delves into the captivating histories of various species, and provides insights into running a successful flower shop. She hopes that everyone can take a moment now and then to immerse themselves in the world of flowers. If you have any questions or wish to learn more about flowers, feel free to contact Peggie.
