14 Beautiful Purple Flowering Trees in Spring

If you’re a fan of planting uniquely colored flowering trees in your garden, you must love purple flowering trees. After all, purple is inarguably one of the most striking, unique, and aesthetically pleasing colors when it comes to flowers. Read on to learn about fourteen trees with purple blooms! 

Homeowners love to plant trees for multiple reasons. Some people love the relaxing environment created by abundant foliage, while others like sitting under the shade of a tree while enjoying the privacy created by its foliage. Many gardening enthusiasts love to plant a wide array of flowering trees due to their breathtaking beauty and allure. 

Flowering trees in shades of lavender, lilac, violet, and purple are a spectacle to behold, especially during peak flowering season in spring and summer. These trees and their pretty, colorful blooms attract numerous birds and animals, such as hummingbirds and squirrels. Although most purple flowering trees can grow quite tall, with some reaching an impressive 40 to 60 feet, many of them can also be grown as smaller shrubs. 

Some of these purple flowering trees bloom in early spring, while others bloom in late spring and summer. They mostly grow in sunny areas in a variety of well-drained soils and numerous hardiness zones. These sturdy, long-lasting trees, with gorgeous seasonal blooms, can easily become the central attraction of any garden and lawn.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at fourteen striking trees that feature purple flowers! 

1. Fragrant Lilac Tree

  • syringa vulgaris
  • Flowering in: Spring
  • Max Height: 12 to 15 ft
lilac-tree-flowers
lilac-tree-flowers

The lilac bush or tree is a multi-stemmed shrub that features light purple, lilac, or lavender clusters of flowers. These exceptionally fragrant, four-petal flowers bloom in April and May and are surrounded by lush green shrubbery. Lilac trees grow best in sunny locations, but they don’t tolerate hot, humid conditions. This tree thrives in well-drained, moist soil. 

2. Empress Tree

  • paulownia tomentosa
  • Flowering in: Spring
  • Max Height: 40 ft
Paulownia tomentosa Empress Tree
treehelp.com Paulownia tomentosa – Empress Tree

Native to Eastern Asia, Empress Tree is a rapidly growing tree that can grow as tall as 20 feet in its first year! This invasive species has brittle wood that produces dense shade. Although it is drought hardy, it thrives in deep, moist, well-drained soils. It features big upright clusters of pale violet, tube-like,scented flowers that can grow up to 3 inches long. 

3. Crepe Myrtle

  • lagerstroemia
  • Flowering in: Summer and Spring
  • Max Height: 35 ft
crape myrtle lagerstroemia flowers
Yay crape myrtle – lagerstroemia flowers

Also known as the “lilac of the South,” the Crepe Myrtle features large clusters of long-lasting, attractive purple flowers. It has an attractive trunk and lush, deciduous foliage, which provides ample shade. It thrives under full sun and prefers well-drained, moist soil. You can grow it as a shrub or a small tree. 

4. Blue Moon Wisteria Vine Tree

  • wisteria macrostachya
  • Flowering in: Spring
  • Max Height: 10-15 ft
wisteria macrostachya
JumpStory wisteria macrostachya

It’s an easy-to-grow tree with large, fragrant blooms. The striking lilac and purple blooms of a Blue Moon vine can grow on trellises, fences, and in a cramped space. This vine can thrive in different soils, cold conditions, and drought. Even though it will take a few years for the flowers to reach maturity, the stunning result will be worth it. 

5. Jacaranda

  • jacaranda mimosifolia
  • Flowering in: Spring and Summer
  • Max Height: 60 ft
11617492 jacaranda tree
Yay Jacaranda tree

Native to the Amazon river basin, the Jacaranda tree features thousands of purple trumpet blooms. These flowers grow in arresting pyramid-shaped bunches at the end of the Jacaranda’s branches. This tree prefers to grow in well-drained soils that are slightly moist. It can thrive in a sunny location and provide you with ample shade. 

6. Chaste Tree

  • vitex agnus-castus
  • Flowering in: Late Spring, Summer, and Early Fall
  • Max Height: 15 ft
Vitex Trifolia

This picturesque, multi-trunk tree features large spike-shaped, upright clusters of purple flowers that grow on all of its branches. These fragrant flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. The trunk of a Chaste Tree is also quite attractive due to its tangled and twisted growth. This tree loves to grow under the full sun and thrives in moist soil. 

7. Texas Mountain Laurel

  • dermatophyllum secundiflorum
  • Flowering in: Spring
  • Max Height: 10-15 ft
Texas mountain laurel
John Hayes Texas mountain laurel

A unique, ornamental tree, the Texas Mountain Laurel features clusters of pretty, long-lasting, fragrant flowers. These lavender flowers have a fruity, grape-like scent. This tree requires minimal upkeep and pruning and does not lose its leaves. It’s slow-growing and grows best in accent locations under full sun. 

8. Purple Glory Tree

  • tibouchina urvilleana
  • Flowering in: Spring
  • Max Height: 15-20 ft
tibouchina urvilleana flower
Teresa Grau Ros tibouchina urvilleana flower

Native to Brazil, the Purple Glory Tree is a sprawling, evergreen, tropical shrub that features breathtaking violet flowers. These flowers grow in clusters surrounded by the lush foliage of glossy, dark green leaves. This versatile tree is ideal for a mixed shrub border. It thrives under the full sun and prefers fertile, moist, and well-drained soil. 

9. Hong Kong Orchid

  • bauhinia blakeana
  • Flowering in: Mid Fall to Early Spring
  • Max Height: 20-40 ft
bauhinia blakeana
Yay bauhinia blakeana

This beautiful tree features long-lasting purple, deep-red, orchid-shaped blooms. These flamboyant flowers are sterile. This orchid develops as a tree in warmer winter regions and as a shrub in cooler winter regions. It needs full sun and evenly moist, weekly-watered soil to thrive. 

10. Purple Robe Locust

  • robinia purple robe
  • Flowering in: Late Spring
  • Max Height: 30-40 ft
robinia pseudoacacia purple robe
milheco robinia pseudoacacia ‘purple robe’

This spring-blooming, deciduous tree features long clusters of fragrant, violet-purple flowers that attract bees. These large clusters accompany the attractive green leaves of the Locust to provide ample shade. This tree thrives under the full sun and can also grow in light shade. It can grow in all types of soil. 

11. Purple Leaf Plum

  • prunus cerasifera
  • Flowering in: Winter to Spring
  • Max Height: 25 ft
prunus cerasifera
JumpStory prunus cerasifera

Also known as a cherry plum tree, purple leaf plum is a dependable, versatile, and easy-to-grow tree. It features pretty purple foliage and light pink blooms. These deciduous trees are ornamental landscape plants. This tree requires full sun, moderate watering, and lightly moist soil to grow. 

12. Red Pixie Lilac Tree

  • Syringa red pixie
  • Flowering in: Late Spring 
  • Max Height: 12-15 ft
Syringa red pixie
JumpStory Syringa ‘red pixie’

This tree has an upright, rounded, bright-green foliage that is heavily peppered with aromatic purplish flowers. It’s an easy-to-grow tree that can withstand cold and drought conditions. Its flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It thrives in full to partial sun and can adapt to most soil varieties as long as the soil is well-drained. 

13. Desert Willow

  • chilopsislinearis
  • Flowering in: Mid Spring to Late Summer
  • Max Height: 15-25 ft
desert willow chilopsis linearis tree
calpoly.edu desert willow (chilopsis linearis) tree

This ornamental tree has a twisted trunk, slender twigs, and deciduous, light green leaves. It features dark pink and purple five-petal, exotic flowers with white or yellow streaks in the center. It grows rapidly and is drought-tolerant and easy to maintain. It thrives under the full sun and in soil with excellent drainage. 

14. Purple Wisteria

  • wisteria sinensis
  • Flowering in: Spring
  • Max Height: 10-30 ft
purple wisteria sinensis
Yay purple wisteria sinensis

Native to China, the purple wisteria is a large, deciduous, woody vine. It features abundant drooping clusters of fragrant mauve flowers surrounded by dark, green pinnate leaves. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and needs well-drained, moderately fertile, and lightly moist soil to grow.