Know any plants with burgundy/purple foliage that don't lose their leaves in winter?

Question

Right. I should have mentioned my zone. I'm in California in USDA Zone 9a (Sunset Zone 14 for those of you in the West).

I'm looking for something in the shrub or perennial categories. I want something that will look decent all year with some nice structure to it. Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

Everplum foliage

Blackbird Spurge (Euphorbia ‘Blackbird’) – Purple/Black Foliage – Larger and more sprawling than other euphorbias it can grow 2’ x 2’ and has evergreen, dark purple, nearly black foliage in full sun.
http://www.planthaven.com/euphblac.html
Chinese Stranvaesia Photinia (Photinia davidiana var. undulata prostrata) The foliage is evergreen but turns a deep plum color in the fall and remains that way. In the summer the new foliage is bright green. Summer berries begin to darken so that by fall the plant is covered with bright red berries.http://www.paghat.com/stranvaesia.html
Photinia prefers sun or light shade and moist but well-drained soil that is slightly acidic. Photinia davidiana undulate grows to about 5’ tall and the variety undulate prostrata only reaches about 3’ tall unless trained up a wall or fence because of its sprawling nature.
Purple Hopseed Bush (Dodonaea viscosa 'Purpurea') The hopbush or varnishleaf shrub is a Florida native that isn’t cold hardy, but does exhibit bright red winter foliage. A large evergreen shrub, the hopseed bush grows to be about 10’ tall and wide. Spring and fall flowers are followed by pendulous seedpods that are highly attractive in the garden. The hopseed bush prefers full sun but will tolerate drought, wind, poor sandy soil or salty ocean spray.
http://www.monrovia.com/plantinf.nsf/0/D5F024E62693FD568825684D00711CEB
Chinese Fringe (Loropetalum chinense) 'Razzleberri' grows with arcing branches. Does not like acid soil. L. chinense var. rubrum 'Blush' blooms early to mid-season with hot pink flowers with medium-green to burgundy foliage; L. chinense var. rubrum 'Suzanne' blooms mid-season with medium pink flowers with dark black-green to bronze or burgundy foliage
http://www.paghat.com/fringeflower.html
Barberry (Berberis thumbergii) 'Crimsom Pygmy' is evergreen to semi-evergreen. This can go to 2’ tall & needs sun to color properly but does well with some afternoon shade.
http://www.magnoliagardensnursery.com/productdescrip/Berberis_Crimson.html
Atropurpurea’ gets taller (6') and looks good with small-flowered clematis scrambling through it. Try Clematis texensis cultivar ‘Duchess of Albany’ http://www.gardenvines.com/catalog/clematis-duchess-of-albany-p-258.html
http://store.chalkhillclematis.com/texducofal.html
Nandina domestica 'Monum' syn 'Plum Passion' grows with several colors at once. Foliage does age greener but it never looses the plum tones. It began being rather awkward but seems to be establishing with better shape now that it has filled out with several stems.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/86801/
http://www.summerwindsca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=plants.plantDetail&plant_id=1996

Seasonal burgundy leaves
Indian Hawthorn (Raphiolepis indica) This is evergreen but only the new foliage is colored but it flowers and has blue berries so is a wonderful plant in sun. Can be found in dwarf forms or hedging sizes.
http://sunnygardens.com/garden_plants/rhaphiolepis/rhaphiolepis_2467.php
Japanese Cleyera (Cleyera ternstroemia gymnanthera) Another with bronze new foliage that will grow large but is prunable.
http://www.magnoliagardensnursery.com/productdescrip/Ternstroemia_Cleyera.html

Answer 2

Burgundy Bushes

Answer 3

The zone you live in makes a HUGE difference.

Are you in the North, where it could snow or the south with just cool and occasionally cold weather in the winter?

Florida is zones 8 in the panhandle, middle is 9 and south is 10.

You need to research and know that before anyone can make any realistic suggestions.

Answer 4

Chinese Fringe Flower is great.
It has beautiful thin lavender bloom is spring.
Petals are about the size of your thumb nail,
Left unamended, they will become 15 to 20 feet tall and wide.
I trim mine every year from the base, removing anything too large and that's all that is required other than water and feeding.
I live in Dallas where the winter temp is about 25 at its coldest.

Answer 5

Get yourself some ornamental kale & cabbage. The plants come in a variety of foliage & are very attractive in the winter garden. It's too hot to plant them now, but look for plants in nurseries whern it gets cooler at the end of Spetember.

Answer 6

yes a wandering Jew will keep the leaves all year around but they don't flower it is a vine and it will cover the whole yard if you let it