Low-Growing Purple Flowers With Gray-Green Variegated Leaves

Hostas

• Hostas start out small, but they spread out and can fill an area as they mature. Although many hostas have solid green leaves, a few varieties bear green and gray variegated leaves. These shade-loving plants are grown mainly for their foliage, but they also produce purple flowers in early summer. Hostas need moist conditions and will die back during the winter.

Dead Nettle

• Dead nettle, or Lamium maculatum, has 1- to 2-inch wide gray-green leaves with interesting variegation and spotting. In late spring, pinkish-purple flowers bloom. This plant does best in full shade where the soil stays moist. If you live in a mild climate, dead nettle stays around all year; in areas with harsh winters, the plant will die back to return again in the spring. Dead nettle spreads vigorously, and you may need to trim it back to control it.

Periwinkle

• Periwinkle, or vinca, is a low-growing, vine-like plant. Some varieties have solid green leaves, but the more interesting varieties have green variegated ones with gray or cream. The round, purple flowers bloom in spring. Vinca grows well in shaded areas and needs occasional watering. It can become invasive, so if you see it growing beyond where you want it to, cut it back.

Rozanne Geranium

• This variety of geranium grows in a low mound. The leaves have a gray-green marbled appearance, and the circular bluish-purple flowers bloom throughout the summer. This is not the common geranium, Pelargonium sp., with its large, showy flowers. The Rozanne Geranium prefers a sunny location and moist soil. In mild climates, the foliage remains on the plant year-round.