Purple is a captivating color in nature, and trees can indeed display this hue. These striking trees gain their purple appearance either through their foliage or their blossoms, offering a unique visual element to diverse landscapes. The presence of purple in trees is a result of specific biological mechanisms.
Trees with Distinctly Purple Foliage
Certain tree species are renowned for their leaves, which maintain a purple coloration throughout much of the growing season. The Japanese Maple, particularly cultivars like ‘Bloodgood’, exhibits deep reddish-purple leaves that often hold their color well into summer, turning a vibrant crimson in autumn. These trees are typically smaller, reaching heights of 15-20 feet, with a rounded shape.
Another example is the Purple Leaf Plum, which features foliage emerging as a rich burgundy or dark purple. These leaves may deepen to a dark green-purple as the season progresses, providing a striking contrast to the pale pink flowers that appear in early spring before the leaves fully emerge. The Copper Beech is a larger deciduous tree with lustrous, coppery to deep purple leaves that transform into copper-red in the fall. Its smooth, gray bark also provides visual interest during the winter months.
Trees Adorned with Purple Blossoms
Many trees are celebrated for their profusion of purple flowers, creating dramatic displays. The Jacaranda is widely recognized for its trumpet-shaped, lavender-blue to violet-purple blossoms that appear in large clusters. These flowers often cover the tree in late spring to early summer, sometimes forming a purple “carpet” on the ground as they fall.
The Royal Empress Tree produces fragrant, foxglove-like flowers in shades of pinkish-lavender or violet-blue before its large, heart-shaped leaves emerge in spring. These showy blooms can appear in panicles up to 14 inches long. Certain varieties of Crape Myrtle are also known for their dense clusters of small, crepe-paper-textured flowers that come in various shades of purple, blooming continuously from mid-summer to fall in warmer climates.
The Science Behind Purple Tree Colors
The purple coloration in tree leaves and flowers is due to pigments called anthocyanins. These water-soluble pigments are found within the plant cells’ vacuoles and can produce a range of colors, including red, pink, blue, or purple, depending on their concentration and the pH levels within the cells. For instance, anthocyanins appear red in acidic conditions and blue in alkaline conditions.
The synthesis of anthocyanins is influenced by various factors, including light exposure, temperature, and nutrient availability. High light intensities can stimulate anthocyanin production. Cooler temperatures promote higher concentrations of these pigments, contributing to more intense purple hues. The interaction of anthocyanins with other pigments, such as chlorophyll, also plays a role; as chlorophyll breaks down, especially in autumn, the underlying anthocyanins become more visible, leading to vibrant fall colors.
Finding Purple Trees Around the World
Purple-leaf Japanese Maples, for example, are widely grown in temperate regions, particularly in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8, and are popular in gardens and urban landscapes across North America, Europe, and Asia. They prefer sites protected from harsh sun in hotter climates to prevent leaf scorch.
Jacaranda trees are native to South America but are extensively planted as ornamental trees in warm, subtropical, and tropical climates worldwide. They are commonly seen in places like Southern California, Phoenix, Hawaii, parts of Australia, and cities in South Africa, where their mass blooming creates spectacular seasonal displays. The Royal Empress Tree, originally from China and Korea, has naturalized in many areas of the Eastern United States due to its rapid growth and adaptability. Crape Myrtles, native to Asia, have also become widely adaptable and are a common sight in warmer regions across the globe, including the southern United States.