Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Purple Sky Flower
Purple Sky Flower is a fast, leafy shrub with arching branches and long sprays of purple flowers from spring into fall. Butterflies and hummingbirds work the flowers all day, and golden berries follow. It fills in quickly as a background shrub or a soft, informal screen. Give it sun with some shelter from the hottest afternoon light, and regular summer water.
Best for: informal screens and large background shrubs, butterfly and hummingbird beds, and patio containers. It is a fast, leafy shrub with a lush look and purple flowers most of the warm season.
It grows fast into a large, leafy shrub, so a row of them makes a soft, informal screen. Plant about 8 feet apart and let the branches arch into each other. It softens a block wall or hardscape quickly.
Long sprays of purple flowers open from spring into fall, and butterflies and hummingbirds visit them all day. Put it where you can watch the visitors from a window or the patio.
At about 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide, it fills the back of a bed. Its arching branches and green leaves give a lush, tropical feel behind lower desert plants.
Frost burns it back in a cold winter, though it recovers quickly in spring. A hot wall with reflected heat is hard on it. Shearing it into a ball or box cuts off the flowers and spoils its arching shape.
- Screen or background row8 ft apart
- Single shrubs with room to arch10-12 ft apart
Water a young plant every few days while it roots, then stretch the time between soaks. Once established, a deep soak about once a week in summer and about once a month in the coldest months is enough.
Do heavier pruning in early spring or in fall after the summer heat. Trim the ends of flowering branches to keep its shape, and avoid shearing. Every 2 to 3 years it can be cut back hard.
Frost burns the leaves and tips in a cold winter. Leave the damage until frost danger passes, then trim it off, and the plant regrows quickly.
The berries and leaves are poisonous if eaten. Plant it away from play areas and dog runs, and pick up fallen berries.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Purple Sky Flower get?
It usually grows about 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide. Where frost does not knock it back, it can reach 15 feet or more, so give it room.
How fast does it grow?
It grows fast and fills in quickly once it is rooted. A yearly trim keeps it in bounds.
Does Purple Sky Flower need shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun to part shade and looks best with shelter from the harshest afternoon sun. Keep it off a hot west wall with reflected heat.
How often should I water it?
Water a young plant more often while it roots. Once established, give it a deep soak about once a week in summer and about once a month in the coldest months.
Can I use it as a privacy screen?
Yes. It is used as a living screen or large background shrub to soften walls and hardscape. Plant about 8 feet apart for a row, and the Spacing tab counts plants for you.
Does it attract hummingbirds and butterflies?
Yes. Butterflies and hummingbirds visit the purple flowers all day while it blooms, and birds eat the golden berries.
Are the berries poisonous?
Yes. The golden berries and the leaves are poisonous to people and pets if eaten. Plant it away from where young children and pets play, and pick up fallen berries.
Is it frost hardy?
Frost burns it back in a cold winter, with damage starting around 25 to 28°F. It recovers quickly in spring, so wait until frost danger passes, then trim off the damage.
How do I prune Purple Sky Flower?
Do the heavier pruning in early spring or in fall, and trim the ends of flowering branches during the season. Every 2 to 3 years you can cut it back hard, and it regrows well.
When is the best time to plant it?
Fall, around October, is the best time to plant, and late February into March is the second window. Both give the roots time to grow before summer heat.
Should I shear it into a hedge?
No. It looks and blooms best when it keeps its natural arching shape. Shearing it into a ball or box cuts off the flowers.
Purple Sky Flower for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Purple Sky Flower, also called duranta or skyflower, is a fast shrub with arching branches and purple flower sprays from spring into fall. Below is what to expect in a Valley yard, from size, sun, water and spacing to frost, pruning, pollinators and the berries.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
How big does Purple Sky Flower get in Arizona?
It usually grows about 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide. Without frost knocking it back, it can reach 15 feet or more.
Does sky flower need afternoon shade in Phoenix?
It grows in full sun to part shade and looks best with shelter from the harshest afternoon sun. Keep it away from hot walls with reflected heat.
How far apart do you plant Purple Sky Flower?
Plant about 8 feet apart for a screen or background row, or 10 to 12 feet apart as single shrubs. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for you.
Is Purple Sky Flower a good privacy screen?
Yes, as an informal screen. It grows fast into a leafy shrub with arching branches that soften a wall. Let it keep its natural shape rather than shearing it.
Are sky flower berries poisonous?
Yes. The golden berries and the leaves are poisonous to people and pets if eaten. Plant it away from play areas and pick up fallen berries.
Is Purple Sky Flower frost hardy in the Valley?
Frost burns it back in a cold winter, starting around 25 to 28°F. It recovers quickly in spring once you trim off the damage.
Does sky flower attract hummingbirds?
Yes. Hummingbirds and butterflies visit the purple flower sprays all day from spring into fall.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.