How to Grow Palace Purple
Wikimedia Commons
Palace Purple
Alternanthera dentata 'Palace Purple'
shrubPalace Purple is a tropical foliage plant prized for its deep burgundy to dark purple leaves that create striking color contrasts in gardens and containers. It's a tender perennial that grows as a compact, mounding shrub with small, delicate pink or white flowers. The vibrant foliage intensifies in full sun, making it a popular choice for ornamental landscapes and mixed plantings.
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Example Palace Purple timeline · Pittsburgh, PA (Zone 6b)
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Plant Palace Purple
Around Apr 17Near Pittsburgh's average last spring frost.
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Tend & protect
Late spring–summerWatering, feeding, and pest-watch reminders.
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Harvest Palace Purple
Around Jun 16≈ 60 days after planting
Sample dates for Pittsburgh, PA. Sign up to get exact Palace Purple dates for your own zip code.
Growing Conditions
Soil
Growing Zones
Find your zone →Thrives in zones 10-11; grows as an annual in cooler zones with protection or indoor cultivation
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Seedling/Transplant
2-4 weeksYoung plant with small purple-tinged leaves, compact growth habit beginning to form
Keep soil moist, provide bright indirect light initially, transplant when 3-4 inches tall, pinch tips to encourage bushiness
Vegetative Growth
4-8 weeksPlant develops increasingly darker purple foliage, mounding form becomes more pronounced, stems become woody
Move to full sun for maximum color intensity, fertilize every 2-3 weeks with balanced fertilizer, pinch back leggy growth to maintain compact shape
Established Shrub
Throughout growing seasonDense mound of deep purple to burgundy foliage, full-sized plant with woody stems, reaching 12-24 inches tall
Reduce pinching, maintain consistent watering, monitor for pests, deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms
Flowering
Summer through fall (warm climates)Small delicate pink or white flowers emerge from foliage clusters, blooms appear intermittently
Deadheading extends blooming, flowers are secondary to foliage but add delicate contrast, continue regular fertilizing
Overwintering/Dormancy
3-4 months (cool season)In tropical climates, maintains foliage year-round; in cooler zones, plant dies back or must be brought indoors
In zones 9-10, mulch heavily and cut back; in colder zones, dig up before frost, repot, and grow indoors under bright lights, or simply treat as annual
Companion Planting
Plan your garden →Plant with:
Avoid planting near:
Common Pests
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Spray with water to dislodge, apply insecticidal soap or neem oil, increase humidity
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Yellow sticky traps, insecticidal soap, neem oil spray, encourage beneficial insects
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Remove with rubbing alcohol on cotton swab, spray with insecticidal soap or neem oil
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Spray with water or insecticidal soap, release ladybugs, apply neem oil
Uses
Container and Bedding Displays
OrnamentalPalace Purple's striking deep purple foliage makes it an excellent choice for mixed containers, mass plantings, and landscape beds. It serves as a bold accent color that contrasts beautifully with silver-foliaged plants, bright annuals, and green foliage. [source]
Tropical and Subtropical Gardens
OrnamentalThis plant thrives in warm climates and is essential for creating tropical garden aesthetics. It's widely used in landscape design for its year-round color and low maintenance once established. [source]
Indoor Houseplant
HouseholdPalace Purple can be grown as an indoor houseplant in bright light conditions, making it suitable for gardeners in cooler climates. It brings dramatic color to interior spaces and can overwinter indoors before replanting in spring. [source]
Floral Design and Cut Foliage
CraftThe striking purple stems and foliage are used by florists and flower arrangers to add dramatic color and texture to arrangements. Cuttings last well in water arrangements. [source]
Pollinator Support
WildlifeWhile grown primarily for foliage, the delicate pink and white flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, making it beneficial for supporting local pollinator populations. [source]
Harvest Tips
Palace Purple is grown for ornamental foliage rather than harvest. Pinch off stem tips throughout the growing season to encourage bushier growth and deeper color development. Remove flower buds if foliage color is the priority. Cuttings can be taken in spring or early summer for propagation; they root easily in water or moist soil within 1-2 weeks.
Fun Facts
- 🌱 Palace Purple is part of the Alternanthera genus, which includes over 200 species of colorful foliage plants native to tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America.
- 🌱 The color intensity of the leaves increases dramatically in full sun; plants grown in shade will display more green coloration, demonstrating how sunlight directly impacts anthocyanin production in the leaves.
- 🌱 Despite being called 'Purple,' the foliage actually displays a range of deep burgundy, maroon, and dark purple tones depending on growing conditions, age of the plant, and cultivar variation.
Gardening Terms
New to gardening? Learn about terms used in this guide:
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