9 Vibrant Purple Succulents

Are you getting bored with the overabundance of green in your succulent garden? Maybe it's time to add some color. Purple succulents are the perfect addition for any gardener looking to add a splash of color to their collection. 

These gorgeous succulents will add a pop of purple to any drab green garden. Whether you're looking for something prickly or the perfect succulent for a hanging planter, this list is sure to help you find the purple plant of your dreams.

Jump to:

• Opuntia santarita ‘Santa Rita Prickly Pear’
• Echeveria ‘Purple Pearl’
• Pleiospilos nelii ‘Royal Flush’
• Sempervivum ‘Purple Beauty’
• Senecio jacobsenii ‘Trailing Jade’
• Gymnocalycium ‘Purple Moon Cactus’
• Senecio herreanus 'Purple Flush'
• Lithops optica 'Rubra'
• Echinocereus pectinatus 'Rainbow Hedgehog Cactus'
• Purple Succulent FAQs
• The Eye-Catching Purple Succulents

Opuntia santarita ‘Santa Rita Prickly Pear’

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This interesting cactus is native the southwestern United States. Its signature pads are green and purple, although smaller plants tend to be more colorful. It can grow up to six feet tall and nine feet wide. In Spring, it produces bright yellow flowers. Like other Prickly Pear varieties, the fruit is edible.

Santa Rita Prickly Pear prefer full sun but can do well with afternoon shade. They are tolerant of high temperatures and can deal with the occasional frost, but cold temperatures are to be avoided. They are prone to root rot if overwatered.

Read Also: 11 Best Cold Hardy Succulents 

Read Also: 11 Pretty Pink Succulents

Echeveria ‘Purple Pearl’

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The Purple Pearl is an adorable little succulent with light purple hued leaves. The flat, rounded leaves are arranged in a rosette shape, which can reach up to 8 inches in diameter. The plant itself can grow about six to eight inches tall. When the Purple Pearl blooms, it produces petite pink flowers.

Like most Echeveria, the Purple Pearl enjoys bright indoor light or partial sunlight, well-draining soil, and infrequent watering. They are easy to care for and can be propagated from stem cuttings or individual leaves. They also make perfect additions to pet-friendly gardens.

Pleiospilos nelii ‘Royal Flush’

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This petite succulent grows up to about three inches tall and four inches in diameter. It usually has two to four leaves, which have deep grooves down their centers. The leaves are a rich purple color and are covered in tiny, raised dots. When the Royal Flush blooms, it produces a bright pink and white daisy-like flower.

Royal Flush can be somewhat difficult to care for. They prefer regular, but light watering, partial sun, and well-draining soil. Unlike most succulents, they are used to regular moisture through fog and condensation, so it can be a bit tricky to find the right balance of moisture for your climate.

Read Also: 9 Outstanding Orange Succulents

Sempervivum ‘Purple Beauty’

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These cute little succulents have blue-green leaves with purple centers. Their leaves grow in a rosette pattern which can reach up to six inches in diameter. The plant typically stays under three inches in height. Each Spring, the plant produces offsets, or chicks, which can then mature to produce their own offsets.

Purple Beauty thrive with both full and partial sun. Like most succulents, Sempervivum enjoy infrequent watering and well-draining soil. They are easy to care for and are great for even the most inexperienced gardeners.

Senecio jacobsenii ‘Trailing Jade’

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Although this plant is referred to as Trailing Jade, it's actually not related to the Crassula Jades you are familiar with. Native to southern Africa, this trailing succulent can grow stems up to 12 inches in length. They are perfect for hanging pots and as ground cover. Trailing Jade blooms infrequently but when they do, they produce bad smelling, bright orange flowers.

Trailing Jade thrives in full sun and with infrequent watering and proper drainage. They are easy to propagate through cuttings. Moderate stress from temperature or the sun will increase the vibrancy of the plant's purple hues.

Gymnocalycium ‘Purple Moon Cactus’

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Gymnocalycium is a species of cactus native to South America. They generally stay quite small, under six inches in height. They are known for their brightly colored flowers and for being easy to care for. They are often grafted onto other types of cacti since they lack the chlorophyll of greener cacti.

Purple Moon Cacti can be propagated from their offsets or grown by seed. They enjoy partial sun and good drainage. Since they grow during the summer, they should be watered more frequently, but the soil should always have a chance to dry out completely before being watered again. In the winter, watering is not necessary.

Senecio herreanus 'Purple Flush'

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Also known as String of Beads, this plant is a trailing succulent and is perfect for any hanging planter. It has green oval shaped leaves on vibrant purple stems. When blooming, the plant produces white, brush-like flowers.

Purple Flush, like other varieties of String of Beads, is easy to care for. They are extremely drought tolerant and prefer well-draining soil. They can be grown from seed but are also easy to propagate. Cuttings of about 3 to 4 inches in length can be taken and replanted during the plant's summer growing season.

Lithops optica 'Rubra'

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Sometimes referred to as Living Stones, these interesting little succulents are native to Namibia. The thick, pebble-like leaves are reddish-purple in color and measure about one inch in length. They are arranged in opposite pairs. The stem is quite short and generally cannot be seen from the side. When blooming, each pair of leaves produces a white daisy-like flower.

Lithops are incredibly slow-growing plants that like infrequent watering during their growing season and little to no water during the winter. They grow in clumps, which can be cut and repotted if necessary. 

Echinocereus pectinatus 'Rainbow Hedgehog Cactus'

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If the name Rainbow Hedgehog Cactus doesn't already draw your interest, maybe the violet colored spines will. Native to Mexico and the southwestern United States, the Rainbow Hedgehog Cactus can grow up to 14 inches tall and about five inches in diameter. The flowers of this cactus are just as flashy as the spines. They can be up to three inches in length and are typically bright pink and white in color.

The Rainbow Hedgehog Cactus has relatively weak roots, so it's susceptible to root rot if not watered carefully. They do best in bright, full sun and with well-draining soil. They are slow growing cacti and will only need to be repotted every few years.

Purple Succulent FAQs

Get to know more about these beautiful and vibrant succulents you can add to your garden through the answers to common questions about them.

Are purple succulents real?

Like with pink succulents, some question the authenticity of purple varieties. After all, you can change the original color of green succulents by encouraging pigment production. That said, yes, some succulents like the ones listed above are naturally purple. Some varieties even start to have a deeper purple shade during dry seasons.

How do you grow purple cactus?

There is not much of a difference when planting and growing purple cacti. That said, here are the steps you need to take:

Step 1: Wearing your gloves, look for a healthy, blemish- and scar-free oval segment or pad of your six-month-old purple cactus.

Step 2: Gently grasp the pad’s top and cut it off from the parent plant using a disinfected knife and following the plant’s natural seam.

Step 3: Place the cut pad on a clean flat surface under filtered sunlight or in a room with a temperature of at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 4: Leave the pad for seven to 10 days, allowing it to form a callus tissue over its cut edge.

Step 5: Fill a pot with well-draining soil, ensuring you leave about one to two inches of the pot empty.

Step 6: Slowly set the cut pad in the pot’s center, with the callused edge resting on top of the soil.

Step 7: Gently push ⅓ or ½ of the cut pad into the soil. Then, tamp the soil down around the pad’s base, ensuring it stands up straight.

Step 8: Evenly moisten the soil with water.

Step 9: Place the pot in a room with a temperature of at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 10: Check your setup, and once the top inch of its soil starts to dry, water it.

Step 11: Once you see the cactus producing new growth, apply ¼-inch of water every seven days when nighttime temperatures are above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Water it every 14 days if the nighttime temperatures are below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, move it to an area with sufficient sunlight to help it get used to brighter light.

Step 12: After two weeks, move your setup to full sunlight if you plan on re-planting the purple cactus in the ground.

Step 13: Allow the purple cactus to grow in its pot for at least a year. Then, transplant it in the ground during the spring season.

Why did my purple succulent turn green?

The primary reason your purple succulent turns green is that it doesn’t get enough sunlight. Fortunately, it’s still healthy, but if you want to have a garden filled with succulents of several colors, expose them to sufficient bright light.

Is there a purple jade plant?

Jade plants are naturally green but sometimes turn purple, especially the tip, when they are exposed to too much sunlight. Thus, you can try to have a more colorful jade plant during the spring and summer seasons.

The Eye-Catching Purple Succulents

Green succulents are great, but sometimes you just need a splash of color to brighten up your space. If you're ready to add some unique succulents to your garden, try a few of these eye-catching purple succulents and cacti. These pretty purple plants add just the right amount of flash to accent any garden.