23 Indoor Plants to Grow With Purple Flowers and Leaves

Author Image

By Ashley Hanson

Updated: May 21, 2024

8 min read

Purple  Plants Indoor
Photo: @chica_plantshop & @southern_helle

Table of Content

    When outdoor gardening is not feasible, particularly in colder months, integrating indoor plants in shades of purple can inject your living space with vibrant hues. Ranging from subtle lavender to bold tones, there are plenty of options to choose from.

    The low-maintenance varieties, like purple passion and lavender, ensure easy upkeep for your colorful foliage. If you are eager to add a pop of color to your interiors, simply select a planter and start with the indoor plants in shades of purple. Exploring the vast array of indoor plants can be difficult, especially with various color choices available. Nevertheless, certain hues, like purple, effortlessly elevate indoor spaces. Renowned for symbolizing luxury and ambition, purple creates an air of sophistication.

    1. Discover the Purple Oxalis

    Purple Oxalis
    Photo: @bobsgardencenter

    The purple oxalis, also known as Oxalis triangularis, is a rare plant characterized by its deep purple foliage. Its distinct triangular leaves grow in clusters of three. While typically found in gardens, this plant can thrive indoors, serving as a vibrant addition to your home decor. Placing the purple oxalis near south-facing windows is recommended, as it tolerates indoor sunlight well.

    2. Purple Power of Lavender

    Lavender Flowers
    Photo: @halifaxseed

    Lavender, a versatile purple indoor plant, not only adds color but also brings a fresh fragrance and serves as a culinary herb. Cultivating lavender indoors is simple, primarily requiring sufficient sunlight, ideally four to six hours daily.

    Read Also: Grow Rosemary and Lavender: Propagation and Care Tips

    3. The Beauty of Prayer Plant

    Purple maranta prayer plant
    Photo: @chica_plantshop

    The maranta prayer plant, scientifically known as leuconeura, is a popular indoor plant cherished for its stunning foliage. Its most prevalent variation exhibits a tricolor pattern, blending purple, brown, and hints of yellow along the midrib. It is recommended to shield this plant from direct sunlight to maintain the vividness of its leaves. It typically blooms in the spring season, and the ideal growing conditions include full to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. Normally, it reaches a size of 6-12 inches tall and wide.

    4. The Gorgeous Purple Coleus

    Purple Coleus
    Photo: @eco_euphoria_

    A gorgeous addition to your indoor greenery, the purple coleus plant boasts stunning vines. To maintain its vibrant foliage, ensure your potted coleus is placed in an area with indirect sunlight to prevent overexposure. However, it is important to be aware that while these decorative plants enhance indoor spaces, they can pose a toxicity risk to pets.

    5. Purple Foliage- the Wandering Jew

    Looking for a rapidly spreading plant boasting striking purple foliage? Consider the wandering Jew (Tradescantia zebrina). Despite its reputation as an invasive species or garden nuisance, bringing it indoors in a hanging pot is an effective method of control. Its succulent purple-green leaves emerge from trailing stems, gracefully cascading over the edges of containers as they mature.

    Purple Foliage
    Photo: @mappinsnursery

    Occasional throughout the year requires full sun to partial shade and can reach up to 1 foot in length.

    6. Cultivating the Purple Waffle Plant

    The purple waffle plant, also known as red ivy (Strobilanthes alternata), is a small indoor plant cherished for its unique leaves. Although its tiny white flowers might not grab as much attention as its colorful foliage, people appreciate this plant not just for its beauty but also because it helps clean the air.

    Purple Waffle Plant
    Photo: @pappas_garden

    Selecting the appropriate container, such as clay pots, is crucial for its cultivation. During the summer, it blooms, thriving best under conditions of full sun to partial shade and in moist soil, reaching a size of 6 inches in height and 8 inches in width.

    7. The Elegant Calathea

    Purrple Calathea
    Photo: @plantisetjava

    The genus Calathea, known for its vibrant colors, draws inspiration from colorful creatures like rattlesnakes and peacocks. Calatheas demand specific growing conditions but offer stunning foliage in return. They bloom in summer and spring, thrive in partial shade, well-drained loamy soil, and typically reach heights and widths of 1-2 feet.

    8. Velvet Touch of Purple Passion

    Gynura aurantiaca
    Photo: @arzelabotanik

    The Gynura aurantiaca, commonly known as the purple passion vine, is a sought-after indoor plant boasting lush green and purple leaves. Its velvety foliage adds a touch of elegance, particularly when surging from a hanging basket positioned in a well-lit indoor area. Despite its charm, the plant produces yellow blooms with an unpleasant odor.

    9. Vibrant Boat Lily

    Boat Lily
    Photo: @plantsiren

    The boat lily (Tradescantia spathacea), is a unique indoor plant characterized by its green and purple foliage. It thrives in well-lit areas, particularly suited for south-facing windows in indoor environments. While it can tolerate lower light conditions, the vibrant purple hue of its leaves diminishes without adequate sunlight. It is recommended to provide the plant with a minimum of six hours of sunlight daily to ensure its health and coloration.

    10. The Beauty of Ruby's Necklace

    Othonna capensis
    Photo: @suculentas_polipa

    The ruby's necklace (Othonna capensis), is a distinctive succulent with a trailing growth pattern. Its reddish-purple stems bear bean-shaped leaves that pour gracefully over hanging baskets or pots. Additionally, it blooms yellow flowers throughout the year. Notably, its leaves turn red when subjected to stress. To ensure its well-being, it is advised to shield it from direct sunlight.

    11. Thriving Ti Plants

    Cordyline fruticosa
    Photo: @urbanearthnursery

    Ti plants (Cordyline fruticosa) typically bloom in spring and thrive in partial sun exposure and acidic, well-drained soil. They can grow between 2 to 10 feet tall and spread 3 to 4 feet wide. The eye-catching, blade-like foliage of this plant is versatile and visually appealing, suitable for various indoor and outdoor environments. These plants are easy to care for, especially when grown in pots, but they thrive with good drainage and should be watered only when the leaves indicate dryness.

    12. Vibrant Sweet Potato Vine

    Sweet Potato Vine
    Photo: Garden Design

    The sweet potato vine, known scientifically as Ipomoea batatas, is a vibrant ornamental plant ideal for enhancing indoor environments. Its foliage comes in diverse colors, and pairs it with coleus plants for enhanced visual appeal, particularly as a purple-leaf combination, ideal for sunlit south-facing windows. It blooms during spring and summer, thriving under full sun exposure and neutral, well-drained soil conditions, reaching heights of 8-10 feet.

    13. Rubber Plant Care

    Rubber Plant
    Photo: @chica_plantshop

    Maintaining the soil moisture of rubber plants is essential, ensuring it remains damp but not excessively wet. Flowering is infrequent and grows on well-drained soil. When cultivated indoors, these plants typically reach heights of 8-10 feet. The rubber plant (Ficus elastica), is a well-liked indoor foliage recognized for its rubbery leaves. Although naturally green, under certain lighting conditions, its matte surface takes on a subtle purplish hue, adding to its unique and captivating look and making it a perfect choice for indoor decor enhancement.

    14. The Beauty of Silver Squill

    Ledebouria socialis
    Photo: @pinterest

    Consider the silver squill (Ledebouria socialis). Despite its small stature, this plant thrives with minimal attention. Its striking gray-purple foliage and purplish stem add to its allure. For optimal growth, it is crucial to provide them with ample filtered sunlight. This plant blooms in spring and thrives in partial sun exposure and well-drained soil. It typically reaches a height and width of 6-10 inches.

    15. Low Maintenance Tradescantia Zebrina

    Tradescantia Zebrina
    Photo: @el_jardinsuculento

    Tradescantia zebrina requires bright sunshine, and with very low maintenance, it can grow to 14- inches. Display the stunning combination of silver, green, and purple tones present in a single indoor plant. Thanks to their compact nature and ability to thrive without direct sunlight, they are suitable for placement in various areas within your household. These indoor plants are simple to maintain and flourish when placed in areas with indirect sunlight, requiring watering only when the soil starts to dry out.

    16. Subtle Echeveria

    Echeveria
    Photo: @kathssuccs

    The echeveria is a perfect addition to your collection of purple indoor plants with its subtle purple-pink and green hues. Being drought-resistant, echeverias thrive with just a few hours of direct sunlight and occasional watering when the soil starts to dry out.

    17. Moses in Cradle

    Oyster plant
    Photo: @southern_helle

    The oyster plant, also known as Moses in the cradle, features lengthy green foliage with purple on the edges and underside. It boasts a compact stature and requires minimal maintenance. Simply ensure it receives six hours of direct sunlight daily and water it regularly once the soil surface begins to dry out.

    18. Indoor Graptoverias

    Purple Graptoverias
    Photo: Harddy

    Graptoverias, with their soft purple, silver, and green hues, are ideal for adding a touch of subtle color indoors. These compact succulents thrive with just six hours of sunlight daily, making them perfect for adorning your living room mantle or bookcase shelf during the day and then finding shade as the evening approaches.

    19. Royal Addition The Purple Emperor

    The variety known as 'Purple Emperor' hails from the sedum genus, often referred to as stonecrops, for their resilience in impoverished soil conditions characterized by stones and gravel. Renowned for its striking appearance, this particular strain showcases deep purple foliage adorned with towering stems hosting small clusters of vibrant pink blossoms.

    The Purple Emperor or Sedum
    Photo: World of Succulents

    Sedum Purple Emperor flourishes equally well both outdoors and indoors, although it exhibits a preference for sandy or rocky settings.

    During their initial year of growth, these plants benefit from more frequent watering. Subsequently, their watering needs decrease.

    20. The Enigma of Purple Shamrock

    Purple Shamrock
    Photo: Farm Seller

    This stunning perennial, closely related to the Iron Cross plant mentioned earlier, earns its name from the three triangular leaves found on each stem. Its deeply hued purple foliage, nearly black in color, adds a dramatic touch to any indoor arrangement. Complementing these dark tones are its white or lavender blossoms, which can emerge throughout the year. Additionally, the leaves of the purple shamrock fold neatly at night, resembling an umbrella, only to unfurl with renewed vitality every morning without fail.

    21. Tiger Stripes Plant: A Unique Succulent

    A different type of succulent, the tiger stripes plant showcases broad, oval leaves marked with purple patches resembling the stripes of a tiger. During the peak of summer, it produces small, purple-green flowers, although they are not as eye-catching as its striking foliage.

    Tiger Stripes Plant
    Photo: Naturetime

    Growing up to nearly one meter tall, this plant requires a minimum of six hours of sunlight daily and consistent warmth. While it thrives with regular watering in the summer, it can be neglected during the winter months.

    22. Indoor Hanging Jaw Plant

    Indoor Hanging Jaw Plant
    Photo: @upcountrydesign

    The Jaw Plant, part of the Tradescantia family, is known for its invasive nature in the wild. Yet, its rapid growth makes it perfect for hanging baskets indoors, with its striped leaves spilling over the edges. To control its height, occasional pruning is advisable, as it can grow over 80cm tall if left unattended.

    23. The Royal Flush With Split Rock Leaves

    Purple Royal Flush
    Photo: Trex Plants

    The plant commonly referred to as Royal Flush, also known as split rock, earns its uniqueness from succulent leaves resembling two halves of a pebble, gradually revealing new pairs of leaves annually. Atop this distinctive foliage, a daisy-like flower emerges in early spring, introducing colors of pink, yellow, and white to complement the purplish tones.

    Conclusion

    The appeal of purple-leaved houseplants for brightening up interior decor is eye-catching. It has the rarity of purple in nature and provides a variety of options, all of which are visually striking and relatively easy to care for.

    Table of Content

      Get daily updates to your inbox!

      Subscribe to our mailing list to receives daily updates!

      Related Stories