Purple Foliage Shrubs for Partial Sun

Need for Light

• Purple-leaved shrubs need substantial sunlight exposure to develop and retain the burgundy to purplish pigments in their leaves. It's better that the shrubs receive the sunlight in long increments during the day, such as from sunrise to midday or midday to sundown. Without enough sunlight, purplish leaves quickly become a duller, purplish green, especially with the onset of summer heat. As much sunlight as possible encourages the densest growth and fullest branches with lots of leaves.

Plant Examples

• In coldest areas of the United States, two species of shrubs provide good purple-leaved cultivars. Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) cultivars "Monlo," sold under trademark name Diabolo and "Seward," sold under the name Summer Wine, display dark purple to greenish-purple leaves in partial sun. The purple-leaf sand cherry (Prunus x cistena) also is a cold-hardy shrub with purple to red-purple foliage. Across most of the temperate regions, purple-leaved cultivars of weigela and smokebush can be grown. Trademark names of purplish weigela shrubs (Weigela florida) include Wine and Roses, Midnight Wine, Dark Horse, Fine Wine and Spilled Wine. Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) cultivars "Royal Purple," "Grace," "Purpureus" and "Velvet Cloak" also are options. In areas of the U.S. with mild winters, an array of fringe flower (Loropetalum chinese var. rubrum) selections have purple to burgundy leaves.

Sunlight and Heat

• Although purple-leaved shrubs need direct sunshine to develop the richest purple leaves, partial sun exposures may be best, especially in the southern latitudes. These plants display the lushest purple hues in spring and early summer when foliage is young and temperatures are comfortably warm. As heat intensifies in mid to late summer, however, too much sun and heat, coupled with dry soil, cause some purple-leaved shrubs to become duller purplish-green. In regions with long, hot summers, plant purple-leaved shrubs in partial sun conditions that give them afternoon shade when temperatures are hottest. This midday relief can preserve more purplish leaf color and prevent leaf scalding or brown leaf edges.

Design Insight

• Use purple-leaved shrubs sparingly in garden designs. You can plant one variety in masses, but the deeper color of these shrubs becomes more attractive when set off by shrubs with varying green foliage hues. Do not plant different purple-leaved shrubs together or their visual impact will diminish. Combining shrubs with different intensities of purple color will make some plants look better while others rather sickly. An excellent combination is to plant red- or orange-flowering shrubs and perennials in the vicinity of purple-leaved plants, according to Lauren Springer, author of "The Undaunted Garden." These hot colors accentuate the purple leaves, and the purple foliage as a background intensifies the orange and red flower colors.