6 Purple Flowering Trees For Your Home

6 Purple Flowering Trees for Your Home

There are many purple flowering trees to pick from, yet not all are edible as I have found out! As a child in Armenia, I remember the day when my friend took me to the back of the clay tennis courts we would learn on, showed me the beautiful flowers of a locust tree, and ate them! Trying them myself, they tasted delicious, like sweet pees filled with honey. Although not all flowering trees are edible, almost all are incredibly beautiful. In order to make it somewhat more easy to pick the right tree for you, we have put together a list of our favorite purple flowering trees.

1. Jacaranda Tree

Jacaranda trees are the queen of purple flowering trees yet unfortunately they grow in tropical environments so zones 9b-11. You could plant indoors in a sunny location while it is still young however it will eventually need to grow outside since it gets so large. If you live in a colder climate, no worries, the following trees are more cold hardy. When these trees do bloom they bloom for a long time and twice a year, one in the late spring and the other in the fall. Therefore, be also prepared to have to clean up the beautiful fallen blooms so they don’t decompose on your lawn.

Growing Zones: 9b – 11
Height/Spread: 25–50′ height and 15–30′ spread

2. Mountain Laurel Tree

The beautiful mountain laurel, also known as Sophora secundiflora or Texas mountain laurel is a native tree of Texas. In fact, it is one of the first trees to flower in Central Texas! Moreover it is drought-tolerant and prefers rocky limestone soil. Lastly, the smell of the beautiful 3-7″ long flowers is similar to the smell of artificial grapes. Some even say it reminds them of Kool-Aid! When it is not in bloom, its shape and glossy leaves add beauty to any landscape.

Growing Zones: 5-9
Height/Spread: 7–15‘ height and spread at maturity

3. Purple Robe Locust

Locust trees not only offers tremendous wildlife value as they reach about 30-40′ tall for bees, mammals, and birds, but they are also helpful to any landscape because of their nitrogen-fixing and erosion controlcapabilities. Because they grow so fast and are also easily propagated, they are great for land reclamation. If you plant them and can control the suckers, then you don’t need to worry about them spreading. Moreover the flowers of the Purple Robe Locust, just like those of theBlack Locust Tree, are edible so feel free to cook them or eat them fresh. However the leaves and bark are toxic so be careful.

Growing Zones: 4-8
Height/Spread: 30-40′ height and 25-30′ spread at maturity

4. Purple Lily Magnolia Tree

There are around 240 species of magnolia trees that are native to the Americas, East Asia, and the Himalayas. Species like Sweetbay Magnolia which produce white flowers are native to the United States (ranging from the east coast to the south). However, the Purple Lily Magnolia which has pink flowers is native to Asia. The flower has a more compact form and the tree size is smaller compared to other magnolias which can grow up to 60′ tall. Therefore it’s perfect for planting as a hedge or a specimen plant in your backyard.

Growing Zones: 5-8
Height/Spread: 8-12′ height and spread at maturity

5. Lilac Tree

The common lilac shrub shows that spring is coming as its radiant purple/lavender flowers bloom and spread their fragrance. In fact, these shrubs are not only beautiful, but they are also easy to manage and very hardy (hardy to zones 3-7). Moreover you can use the lilac shrub to attract wildlife, such as butterflies, and also as natural hedges, windbreaks, and screens.

Growing Zones: 3-7
Height/Spread: 8–15′ height with a 6–12′ spread at maturity

6. Crape Myrtle Tree

These beautiful trees which come from China and Korea, are very beautiful and also very resilient. Not only are they very heat tolerant, but they are also drought-tolerant when they mature. It’s no wonder they are a favorite in the south! You may see different name variations such as crepe myrtle (common in the south) or crepemyrtle, so don’t get confused! Its latin name is Lagerstroemia. Lastly, this tree can reach a variety of sizes depending on whether you have a dwarf, semi-dwarf, or standard tree.