If you’re after a trailing or climbing plant to add some color to your garden, purple vines are a good choice. They add both height and interest to your garden, covering any bare fences, trellises, and arbors you have waiting for the perfect plant.
They’ll also thrive in places other plants wouldn’t dream of tolerating. Most are so easy to care for, you won’t need to worry about devoting time to looking after them when your garden schedule is busy enough already!
Morning Glory
Morning glory produces lots of flowers on vines that grow rapidly, though the flowers usually only last a day. The good news is that this plant continually produces blooms throughout its flowering season in August through September.
It’s worth noting that some types of morning glory are more invasive than others, and some will actually choke its neighbors to “weed out” the competition, so plan what variety you want, and where you want it.
Bougainvillea
This evergreen climber produces flowers in a range of colors atop woody stems, and flowers from spring all the way to the first frosts. Bougainvillea (see also Bougainvillea Uses And Guide) looks perfect growing over a gateway, or somewhere that compels you to move through your garden.
Bougainvillea is not very hardy, so don’t expect it to come back after frost. In warmer climates, you can treat it as a perennial, and it will grow more than 40 feet tall if the conditions are right.
Some varieties of bougainvillea do have thorns – which may be useful depending on where you want this plant to live. It would act as a pretty deterrent over border walls or around your ground-level windows.
Clematis
Clematis is a climber known for producing striking purples flowers (see also 60 Best Types of Purple Flowering Plants You Should Know) in all hues and shapes, as well as other colors. You can also train this plant to trail, if you prefer.
When this plant blooms, and how well it tolerates frost, depends on the variety. You can also train it to grow through other climbers, to add a different effect and more variety to your displays. One popular choice is growing clematis and roses together.
Passion Vine
The passion vine, or passionflower (see also Passion Flower Meaning), produces some of the most unusual flowers that you can get on a vine. There are many colors these flowers come in, though purple is one of the most striking.
The leaves are evergreen, so you will still have structure and interest when the plant is not in bloom. While it grows best in tropical conditions, these plants can withstand cooler climates, and flowers from May through until September.
Hyacinth Bean Vine
While the purple flowers of the hyacinth bean vine are gorgeous alone, the real star of the show this plant produces is the purple bean pods once the flowers have finished.
This plant looks fantastic grown as a canopy, and takes interest to different heights in your garden.
Keep in mind that these are grown as an ornamental – the plant is valued for its looks and tropical aesthetic, rather than its usage, as the bean pods are not designed for human consumption.
Blue Sky Vine
A distant cousin to the black-eyed Susan, this plant produces sky blue to purple flowers among heart shaped leaves. Also known as the clock vine, it originates from India, preferring full sun but wanting some shade from fierce sunlight.
This plant produces many cup-shaped blooms, and sends out long tendrils which can attach itself to other plants to climb up – so make sure it doesn’t take over your garden!
Wisteria
Wisteria is widely admired for its grape-like, cascading blooms of flowers, and stunning fragrance. Flowers range from purple, purple and white, white, pink, and blue, and blue and white.
Wisteria can grow up to 30 feet tall. Letting it grow up trees is not recommended, as it will eventually strangle the tree when it gets established enough. It also has aggressive roots, so avoid planting it near paths or weak walls.
Wisteria is deciduous, so it drops its leaves when the weather turns colder, but it will treat your garden to a stunning display of color and fragrance for years to come.
Dutchman’s Pipe
If you’re after something truly unusual, a plant that will give your garden a tropical feel, the Dutchman’s Pipe may be the plant for you. It produces lovely dark purple flowers which are shaped like pipes, below heart-shaped leaves.
Unfortunately, these flowers give off a smell like you’ve left meat out in the sun, and attract flies, so don’t plant it somewhere where you’ll want to sit (see also How To Get Rid Of Flies On Your Patio)! The flowers also attract swallowtail butterflies and other beneficial pollinators.
As tropical as it looks, it needs a hardier climate to survive, and only really thrives in zones 8-10.
Chocolate Vine
If the idea of the last plant has you feeling a bit sick, this one will help. The chocolate vine, or the five-leaf akebia vine, produces rich dark purple flowers which give off the smell of chocolate.
Perfect, right? Almost. While chocolate-scented flowers are relatively rare in nature, especially among perennials that tolerate cold, this plant is invasive.
It will have no qualms about strangling neighboring plants, and you may even need to check with your local council to make sure you’re allowed to plant it. The biggest no-no would be allowing this plant to escape into neighboring properties or woodland, as it could do some damage.
