Categories: Gardening

Trees with Purple Flowers

Purple flower trees produce varying hues of purple flowers such as lilac, lavenders and deep violet. These trees grow in the South or certain parts of New England. Some varieties of trees may bloom from spring to fall, while others can survive in frosty soil and frigid temperatures. People sometimes gather these flowers and give them to a special someone on Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Friendship Day.

Jacaranda Tree
The jacaranda acutifolia is a large tree from the deciduous family that grows blue, violet and purple bulbs. It has fern-like pinnate leaves. The young trees stand upright, but as they age, the branches will open up asymmetrically. Depending on the species and location, the tree will grow these flowers from April to June.

There are at least 50 species of the jacaranda, according to the Florida Data website. You will find these flowers in the Caribbean basin and in Southern America. The most seen species in Florida is the one native to the Brazil, Peru and Argentina. The hardiness USDA zones for this tree are 9 through 11. This tree will tolerate most types of soil, some shade and some drought, but it will not tolerate salt. These trees can only grow outdoors in bright and sunny conditions.

Purple Orchid Tree
The purple orchid tree, or the Bauhinia variegata, is a tropical tree that will bloom for several months from September to November. These trees are native to India, Vietnam and Southeastern China. The hardiness USDA zones for this tree are 9 through 11. Purple orchid trees will bloom 5-inch wide blossoms in shades of dark purples and light lavenders and sometimes resemble orchids. Other types of these flowers have white flowers with streaks of purple running through them.

Purple orchid trees can grow up to 20 feet tall and will have a 25-foot crown. The leaves are 4 to 6 inches across and rounded with a lobed end and heart shaped base. These trees can survive both summer and winter months. They will recovery from brief freezes after they drop their leaves. It is best to plan these trees outside in acidic soil and full sun. Water them more in the summer and less in the winter.

Twilight Crape Myrtles
The Twilight Crape Myrtle, or the Lagerstroemia indica, blooms between 60 and 120 days, in late May to early June. They will continue on displaying their pretty colors until October. Twilight crape myrtles come in varying hues of dark purple and lavender. Their leaves are mostly smooth, but leaf size depends on whether they are a tree or shrub.

This deciduous tree grows as much as 10 feet to 25 feet tall. The Twilight Crape Myrtle tree requires good sun and moist, well-drained soil. They also can grow in the sun or shade. Even though they are from Asia, these trees have grown in Northern parts of the United States such as Massachusetts. Their hardiness USDA zones are 7 through 9. Twilight crape myrtles can survive in both winter and summer months.

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