Ornamental Trees and Shrubs with Purple Leaves: A Guide to Adding Color to Your Landscape
Introduction
In the world of landscaping, the predominant color scheme is various shades of green. However, there are a number of trees and shrubs that feature striking purple leaves, offering a unique and eye-catching way to add a splash of color to your garden.
Benefits of Purple-Leaved Plants
In addition to their aesthetic appeal, purple-leaved plants offer a number of benefits:
- Contrast: Purple leaves provide a stark contrast to the surrounding greenery, making them stand out as focal points in any landscape.
- Wildlife food: Many purple-leaved plants produce small fruits that are a valuable food source for wildlife.
- Human food: Some purple-leaved plants, such as crabapples and elderberries, produce fruits that are edible for humans.
- Specimen trees: Purple-leaved trees, such as Japanese maples and copper beeches, make excellent specimen trees, adding visual interest and drama to any landscape.
- Hardy and adaptable: Many purple-leaved plants are hardy and adaptable, tolerating a range of soil conditions and climates.
Choosing the Right Purple-Leaved Plants
When choosing purple-leaved plants for your garden, there are a few things to consider:
- Hardiness zone: Make sure to select plants that are hardy in your USDA hardiness zone.
- Sun exposure: Some purple-leaved plants prefer full sun, while others can tolerate partial shade.
- Soil conditions: Most purple-leaved plants prefer well-drained soil.
- Size and shape: Consider the size and shape of the plant when choosing a location in your garden.
Types of Purple-Leaved Plants
There are a wide variety of purple-leaved trees and shrubs available, including:
- Barberries: These shrubs feature dense foliage and sharp thorns, making them a good choice for security hedges.
- Copper beech: These trees are known for their deep purple leaves and distinctive weeping branches.
- Crabapples: These trees offer year-round interest with their showy flowers, fruits, and foliage.
- Elderberries: These shrubs produce edible fruits that can be used in jams, jellies, and other recipes.
- Japanese maples: These small trees or shrubs feature distinctive, deeply lobed leaves that turn brilliant shades of purple in the fall.
- Purple leaf plum: These trees feature purple leaves and small, edible fruits.
- Purple leaf sand cherry: This shrub produces small purple fruits that are a favorite of wildlife.
- Purple ninebark: This shrub features purple foliage and white or pink flowers, making it a versatile choice for any landscape.
- Purple smokebush: This shrub gets its name from the fuzzy balls of unfertilized flowers that resemble smoke.
Care and Maintenance
Purple-leaved plants generally require the same care as other trees and shrubs. However, there are a few specific tips to keep in mind:
- Pruning: Prune purple-leaved plants in late winter or early spring to remove any dead or diseased branches and to shape the plant.
- Fertilization: Fertilize purple-leaved plants in the spring with a balanced fertilizer.
- Mulching: Mulch around purple-leaved plants to help retain moisture and suppress weeds.
- Watering: Water purple-leaved plants regularly, especially during hot and dry weather.
Conclusion
Purple-leaved trees and shrubs are a beautiful and versatile addition to any landscape. With their striking foliage and numerous benefits, they are sure to add a touch of color and interest to your garden for years to come.
