Attractive and durable, Purple Heart is a popular trailing evergreen perennial noted for its remarkable foliage of narrow, pointed, purple leaves, 2-5 in. long. Arranged alternately along thick, but fragile, purple stems, the leaves are deep royal purple above, bright violet underneath. Blooming constantly during warm weather, small clusters of bright pink, 3-petaled, pale orchid-pink flowers, 1 inch, emerge at the stem tips. Evergreen in frost-free areas, it dies back with mild freezes but sprouts back in spring. In colder areas, it may be grown as a houseplant. Easily grown in rich, moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best purple leaf coloration occurs in full sun. Shelter this plant from strong winds that may break the fragile stems. Water freely in dry weather. Drought tolerant once established. Photo courtesy of Gardenia.
Setcresea purpurea ‘Purple Heart’
Description
Attractive and durable, Purple Heart is a popular trailing evergreen perennial noted for its remarkable foliage of narrow, pointed, purple leaves, 2-5 in. long. Arranged alternately along thick, but fragile, purple stems, the leaves are deep royal purple above, bright violet underneath. Blooming constantly during warm weather, small clusters of bright pink, 3-petaled, pale orchid-pink flowers, 1 inch, emerge at the stem tips. Evergreen in frost-free areas, it dies back with mild freezes but sprouts back in spring. In colder areas, it may be grown as a houseplant. Easily grown in rich, moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best purple leaf coloration occurs in full sun. Shelter this plant from strong winds that may break the fragile stems. Water freely in dry weather. Drought tolerant once established. Photo courtesy of Gardenia.
