The purple colour exudes royalty and elegance, which makes it an ideal choice for the majority of gardeners to bring a mesmerising and vibrant appearance to the garden. From bold violet tones to bright and light lavender shades, ground covers with a layer of purple flowers give a stunning and eco-friendly feel to the lawn area as compared to traditional ones.
However, selecting a visually appealing option that requires less maintenance is the real challenge. This blog provides 10 different options that you can choose from and 5 major options that you should avoid.
12 Unique Invasive Ground Cover With Purple Flowers
Here is a list of some of the invasive options of ground cover with purple flowers to embrace a beautiful and visually appealing landscape:
Creeping Phlox (Phlox Stolonifera)
The delicate and subtle nature of creeping phlox makes it an ideal flower choice for ground cover that adds a purple charm to the garden area. This strong perennial grows up to eight inches long, showcasing the diverse shade of lavender and violet that blooms from spring to summer. The foliage has soft and gentle features, making it ideal for soft edges around hardscape.
Bugleweed(Ajuga Reptans)
Bugleweed plant creates a thick ground cover, it rapidly spreads and extends harmless and attractive appearance. It is beneficial to use a mat-forming plant in hillside areas or slope areas, as it requires help in controlling erosion with minimal care or mowing. Nonetheless, bugleweed shouldn't be kept around lawns or garden beds due to its higher chances of invading these areas. It comes in vivid blue or violet colour that blossoms during late spring to early summer.
Horned Pansy A.K.A Viola Cornuta
Horned pansies have a charm and regal vibe that exhibits exquisiteness and resilience. It is a low-growing plant that creates compressed clusters of two-toned and short-stemmed flowers that blossom during spring till late summer. Based on variety, their colours can range from deep purples, vibrant blues, to sunny and yellow. They function efficiently in well-drained soil with full sun to partial shade.
Bellflower (Campanula Portenschlagiana)
The Dalmatian bellflower is a vibrant, low-maintenance plant which can grow easily and bring liveliness to rock gardens and footpaths with soft lavender of bell-shaped flowers and deep green leaves. Bellflower is popularly known as Campanula poscharskyana or Serbian bellflower. Blooming in late spring till summer and early fall, bellflower is pretty easy to care for. It only requires regular watering during dry spells. It starts promoting fresh growth if trimmed nicely after the first round of blooms.
Creeping Thyme A.K.A Thymus Serpyllum
Creeping thyme is a plant which is favoured by gardeners as well as wildlife lovers. It is a low-growing herb that gives a soft and gratifying scent, bursting into a beautiful sheet of purple flowers in the summer. It has a bunch of silvery-green leaves that add a sense of charm throughout the year. Its versatile features make it useful for whimsical flowerbeds or filling the space between stepping stones. Creeping thyme is a low-maintenance substitute for old grass.
Veronica Spicata A.K.A Royal Candles
If you want your garden to burst with striking flowers, Veronica Spicata might be just what you need. Spike speedwell is another popular name for this flower. This tall and bushy ground cover exhibits vibrant violet-blue flower spikes from late spring till early summer.
This plant arrives early in the season and its foliage remains attractive and eye-catching throughout the summer. Veronica Spicata requires full sun, a moist atmosphere and well-drained soil to remain healthy. They can easily grow up to 12 inches tall and spread 15 inches wide, if regularly watered and pruned.
Woodland Phlox (Sherwood Purple)
Woodland phlox is a genus of two different but related species that bloom in the spring and gradually expand by forming new roots that are close to the original plant. It has a variety called Sherwood Purple, which belongs to Phlox stolonifera, more compact than its relative Phlox divaricata. It is suggested to lift the plant in autumn to propagate by gently dividing the root system into smaller parts.
Ice Plant (Delosperma spp.)
The vibrant showstopper Ice Plant is popular for its bright magenta shade, daisy-shaped flowers with thick and tender leaves. It is an imperishable perennial groundcover that makes a striking appearance with its colour combination of deep purple and pink blooms. It lasts till summer and at times till fall, creating a lush mat of light green foliage. It has features that are different from its name. It blossoms well in hot, sunny and dry weather conditions. However, it is also hardy and can easily manage the colder climates without any problem. The best part is that it is a low-maintenance plant, and requires a well-drained soil and occasional watering. All you need to do is plant it in well-drained soil and water it occasionally, and then you can see it flourishing.
Periwinkle(Vinca Minor)
Periwinkle, also known as Vinca minor, is a five-petaled flower in a soft lavender-blue shade that blooms in early spring and continues to bloom throughout the year. It can resist heat, drought and full sun. It is commonly found flourishing in sunny areas.
Trailing Lobelia (Lobelia Erinus)
The blossoming of trailing lobelia comes in a cool-toned colour palette of soft pink, white, lavender and different hues of blue. They attract butterflies and flourish well when the flowers are regularly trimmed. It encourages fresh growth. Also, they can droop in hot weather, so keep them well-watered to maintain their beauty.
5 Ground Covers With Purple Flowers That You Should Avoid
Here are 5 aggressive ground covers with purple flowers that you should avoid, as they can quickly take over your garden.
Bishop Weed
Bishop weed, commonly known as goutweed, is the fastest-growing plant native to Europe. It grows in partially shaded woodland areas where bishop weed quickly spreads through robust root stolons and self-seeding. It becomes challenging to eliminate once it takes hold. This is because even small root fragments left in the ground can develop into new plants. The discrete form of bishop weed is what makes it an appealing plant. It functions exceptionally well in shady spots where white-marked splotches give a touch of shine.
Wisteria
Wisteria, being a renowned woody vine, is adored for its stunning blossoms and pleasing fragrance. It has different varieties, among which the American wisteria is less aggressive than its Chinese counterpart. However, both of them are resilient growers. If you are planning to plant wisteria in your garden, then prepare yourself for proper maintenance and regular pruning to stop it from overwhelming the nearby plants and flowers.
Evening Primrose
The origin of the delicate and pretty evening primrose plant is Eastern North America. It is also known as the Mexican Primrose, as it is native to the southwestern part of the U.S. and Mexico. These plants tend to be ever-lasting in gardens and are invasive as they reseed on their own abundantly. Evening primrose has one unique speciality: it blossoms at night and usually closes by midday.
Beach Vitex, A.K.A Roundleaf Chastetree
Beach vitex is a woody, deciduous shrub. It is one of the rapidly growing invasive ground covers that originally comes from Asia. Initially, it was introduced in the U.S. to prevent erosion from beaches. However, it soon went out of control and started displacing the native coastal plants. Beach Vitex is highly resistant to salt spray and functions effectively in sandy soils and full sunlight. However, it is a big-time threat to coastal ecosystems.
Purple Loosestrife
Purple loosestrife is actually an invasive species mainly found in wetland areas. Its vibrant purple flowers are attractive and eye-catching. It grows quickly in dense and firm clusters, replacing the native vegetation and disturbing the natural ecosystems.
