Plants that bloom in September in Zone 10 with purple flowers

Acidanthera

Arching stems hold fragrant white blooms with a deep maroon throat. Peacock orchid, the elegant late-summer cousin of the bold gladiolus.

Annual Vinca

Glossy-leaved heat champion (botanically unrelated to true Vinca minor) that blooms through humidity that wilts everything else.

Bougainvillea

Explosive cascades of papery magenta, hot pink, or coral bracts that smother walls, fences, and pergolas with nonstop color from spring through fall in zones 9 to 11.

Butterfly Bush

Long, arching flower wands that butterflies absolutely lose their minds over.

Calibrachoa

Mini petunias that bloom nonstop in hanging baskets. Dozens of color options and no deadheading needed.

Catmint

Billowy lavender-blue haze that blooms all season if you shear it back.

Cheyenne Spirit Coneflower

A rainbow mix of coneflower colors from a single seed strain. Every plant is a surprise.

Chrysanthemum

The fall icon. Mounds of color when everything else is fading.

Clematis

The queen of flowering vines. Over 300 species, something for every spot.

Cleome

Spider-flower with whisker-like stamens and airy blooms. Tall, dramatic annual that self-sows freely.

Coneflower

Tough prairie native with long bloom season and medicinal history.

Crape Myrtle

The tree of the South. Months of crinkled blooms and gorgeous peeling bark.

Dahlia

Endless forms from dinner-plate to pompom. The obsession of flower farmers.

Encore Autumn Azalea

Spring blooms plus a full fall encore. Multiple color options in the Encore series.

Gomphrena

Papery clover-shaped pom-poms on wiry stems. Drought-proof, deer-proof, and dries perfectly for winter arrangements.

Hydrangea

Massive mophead blooms that shift color with soil pH. Showstoppers.

Ice Plant

Neon-bright daisy flowers that shimmer in the sun over succulent foliage. Thrives in hot, dry rock gardens.

Impatiens

The shade annual champion. Flowers prolifically where nothing else will.

Karma Choc Dahlia

Velvety dark burgundy waterlily blooms that read almost black in low light. Strong stems built for the vase.

Lantana

Multi-colored flower clusters that bloom relentlessly in brutal heat.

Liatris

Blazing star. Spikes that bloom unusually from top to bottom.

Lisianthus

Rose-like ruffled blooms with the vase life of a chrysanthemum. The flower farmer's secret weapon for high-end arrangements.

Morning Glory

Fast-climbing vine with trumpets that open fresh every morning.

Pentas

Star-shaped flower clusters that hummingbirds and butterflies hit on every pass. Blooms nonstop in heat that stops impatiens cold.

Petunia

Cascading color for containers and beds. Blooms nonstop until frost.

Pickerelweed

Spikes of violet-blue flowers above glossy arrow-shaped leaves. Native pond and stream bank staple.

Portulaca

Succulent-leaved sun lover with silky rose-like blooms that thrives where pavement, rock, or sand defeats everything else.

Rose of Sharon

A cold-hardy hibiscus shrub (Hibiscus syriacus) with big tropical-looking blooms in lavender, pink, blue, white, or wine, opening late summer when most flowering shrubs are done.

Salvia

Vertical flower spikes that hummingbirds and bees cannot resist.

Scabiosa

Pincushion blooms on long wiry stems dance over fine foliage. Pollinator magnet that keeps producing if you keep cutting.

Snapdragon

Vertical flower spikes with squeeze-open blooms. Kids love them.

Statice

Stiff papery flower clusters that dry to keep their color for years. A cut-flower farmer staple for wreaths and dried bouquets.

Sweet Alyssum

Honey-scented carpet of tiny flowers. The best living edging plant.

Tall Verbena

Wiry stems topped with purple clusters that butterflies can't resist. See-through plant for layering.

Thomas Edison Dahlia

Rich royal purple dinner plate blooms with formal decorative form. One of the few true purples and a showstopper in late-summer beds.

Zinnia

Easy-grow annual with electric colors. Cut-and-come-again champion.