Deep Red Purple Plants

Trees

• Several cultivars of the Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, have deep, purple-red foliage. Atropurpureum has dark, purple-red to black foliage that lasts well into autumn. It grows quickly, reaching 10 to 14 feet tall. 'Ever Red' grows to 15 feet tall and has deeply dissected, purple-red leaves that mature to coppery purple. Other purple-red selections include 'Moonfire', which grows to 15 feet tall; 'Nigrum', which grows to 10 feet tall and has extremely dark foliage; 'Red Filigree Lace', which only grows to 6 feet tall; and 'Sherwood Flame', a 10-foot-tall cultivar with long-lasting purple-red leaves. Japanese maples are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 5 to 8 and prefer light shade and moist, well-drained soil.

Shrubs

• The red barberry, Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea, grows to 6 feet tall with a similar spread and is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8. This deciduous shrub grows in a rounded, dense mound of red-purple leaves. It produces yellow and purple flowers followed by red, long-lasting berries. Plant in full sun for the best color. Nandina 'Purple Passion' has deep, purple-red new foliage. This upright, deciduous shrub grows to 4 to 6 feet tall and is hardy in zones 6 to 9. It prefers sun to partial shade and moist soil with good drainage.

Ground Covers

• Ground covers with purple-red foliage add a dense carpet of color to bare sites. The purple heart, Setcreasea pallida 'Purple Heart', grows from 6 to 12 inches tall with a wide spread. It has linear, deep purple foliage and blooms with pink flowers. Plant purple heart in sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil in USDA zones 9 to 11. The purpleleaf wintercreeper, Euonymus fortunei "Colorata" grows to 1 ½ feet tall with a 2- to 5-foot spread. This evergreen has lustrous foliage that turns a deep red-purple color in fall. It prefers sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil and is hardy in zones 4 to 8.

Red-Purple Flowers

• Some plants produce deep red-purple flowers. The Bantam bearded iris, Iris germanica

  'Bantam', produces ruffly, deep red-purple flowers in spring. This tiny perennial grows to 8 inches tall and produces aromatic, 1- to 2-inch flowers. The bearded iris has semi-evergreen, linear foliage and grows best in full sun and loamy, slightly acidic soil. The Royal Red butterfly bush, Buddleia davidii 'Royal Red', produces fragrant, purple-red flowers on 8- to 12-inch-long panicles. These deciduous shrubs grow to 12 feet tall with a 10-foot spread and are hardy in zones 5 to 9. They prefer full sun and moist, well-drained soil.