17 Beautiful Purple Indoor Houseplants

Purple houseplants make gorgeous and fun additions to any collection, and they can really liven up your home.

In this post, I share my top choices for the best ones, as well as care tips to help you keep them looking colorful and healthy.

My list only includes indoor plants that have purple leaves – I’m not talking about the flowers here. There are both common and unique ones, so you’ll find plenty of great options.

Purple Indoor Plants List

I chose the houseplants on this list not only for their fancy purple leaves, but also because they are simple for anyone to grow indoors. Here are my top picks:

1. Purple Queen (Tradescantia pallida, aka purple heart)

I started with this one because it’s probably the most common of all of these purple houseplants, and it’s also one of my favorites.

Be sure to give it plenty of light indoors, or the color will fade and the stems will get leggy. Learn exactly how to care for Tradescantia pallida here.

2. Pilea

There are lots of varieties of pilea plants out there, and they come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Some have purple splashes, splotches, or leaf edges along with other colors like green and silver.

A few of the ones with purple on their leaves are ‘friendship plant’, ‘moon valley’, and ‘Globosa’ – but they are all fun to collect.

3. Wandering Dude (Tradescantia zebrina)

Another super common indoor plant with purple leaves is Tradescantia zebrina. The most well known one has silver-ish green on the top with purple in the middle and on the bottom of the leaves.

But other hybrids have less of the other colors and are much more vibrant. The long, vining stems look great in a hanging basket, or set on top of a tall shelf, cabinet, or bookcase. Learn how to care for wandering jew plants here.

4. Purple Velvet (Gynura aurantiaca, aka: purple passion)

Also known as the purple passion plant, this gorgeous and unique houseplant has very distinct fuzzy velvet leaves.

The leaves themselves are actually green, but the thick hairs are what gives them their brilliant color.

5. Prayer Plant

Another unique indoor plant that comes in many varieties, including some that have purple leaves, stems, or veins.

The leaves open during the day and close at night, resembling prayer hands, which is how it got its common name.

6. Purple Oxalis

Also called ‘purple shamrocks’, the large clover-shaped leaves on this houseplant will add lots of drama to your collection.

This cute plant produces lush mounds of foliage that look great in any decorative container or in a hanging basket.

7. Purple Waffle Plant (Hemigraphis colorata)

Another fun little indoor plant, this one has purple and green foliage. The leaves are crinkled, which is where it gets its name.

It stays fairly small, so you can place it just about anywhere in your home, and it works great in mixed containers too.

8. Polka Dot Plant

This adorable plant comes in a few different colors, and purple is one of the most popular. The leaves can either be green with colorful dots, or mostly purple with green flecks.

It’s usually sold as annual plants during the spring and summer, but you can easily grow it as a houseplant.

9. African Milk Bush (Euphorbia bicompacta var. rubra)

Also called ‘purple leaf brown jug plant’, I love this one for its glossy brownish leaves, and it does very well in my sunny living room.

It is a succulent that can grow into a large tree, which makes it a great floor plant.

10. Calathea

There are a lot of different varieties of calathea out there, and they make gorgeous indoor plants.

A few of the ones with purple leaves are ‘Purple Rose’, ‘Dottie’, or ‘Medallion’, but they are all excellent.

11. Rex Begonia

Rex begonias are fantastic houseplants, and there are tons of purple leaf varieties to choose from.

It’s common to find them in with the annuals in the spring, but they’re very easy to keep indoors year round. Read about how to care for begonias here.

12. Succulents

There are many different types of succulents, and even some cactus plants that are purple or purple-ish.

A few of my favorites are echeveria, graptopetalum, aeonium, haworthia, and sempervivum. Read all about succulent plant care here.

13. Rubber Tree ‘Burgundy’ (Ficus elastica)

Another wonderful indoor plant, this one is very dark purple. The new leaves are bright red when they’re opening, which makes a striking contrast against the mature burgundy foliage.

This eye-catching plant grows fairly quickly and can get quite large, which makes it a great accent piece. Learn how to care for rubber plants here.

14. Ti Plant (Cordyline fruticosa)

Also called the ‘good luck plant’, this is a great one to have in your home. The purple palm-like leaves add a lovely tropical feel.

These plants can also get pretty tall, and make a perfect thriller for adding color and drama to a mixed container.

15. Silver Squill (Ledebouria socialis)

This cute little houseplant has silver-green spotted leaves with dark purple undersides and stems.

The plant stays very short and compact, but new bulbs will form around the base, so it will spread out to fill the pot fairly quickly.

16. Purple Sweet Potato Vine

You probably know this one because it’s a very common summer filler plant, but you can bring it inside in the fall and grow it as a houseplant.

There are a couple of beautiful purple varieties to look for too, some have dark foliage and others are brighter. Learn how to grow sweet potato vines here.

17. Coleus

Another one that most people use in their summer containers, this is surprisingly easy to grow as a houseplant.

The best part is that it comes in tons of different shades of full or semi-purple so you can collect them all. Learn how to grow coleus plants here.

Purple Houseplants Care Tips

Purple houseplants are definitely more exotic than boring green ones, but they can also be higher maintenance. Here are a few tips for keeping those beautiful leaves vibrant and healthy:

Light

Most purple leaved houseplants require bright light to keep the color and their compact, bushy shape. If it’s too dark, the leaves will dull, fade, or revert back to green.

A south facing window would be the perfect spot for them, or you can add a grow light and set it on an outlet timer for 12-14 hours every day.

Water

Since these purple beauties are more unique than common houseplants, many of them will have special watering requirements.

You can use a moisture gauge to make sure you’re not over or under watering. Some of them will also benefit from added humidity, so running a humidifier nearby will help a ton during the winter.

Fertilizer

Feeding your houseplants during the spring and summer months will also help to ensure the leaves stay as purple as possible.

I recommend using an organic indoor plant food. Compost tea is also an excellent all-purpose option, which you can buy in a liquid concentrate, or use tea bags to brew your own.

Purple houseplant are fun to collect, and add interest and tons of great color to your collection. Choose your favorites from this list, and enjoy!

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• 17 Of The Best Office Plants For Your Workspace
• 15 Easy Indoor Plants That Anyone Can Grow

Add your favorite purple houseplants in the comments section below.