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Calgary Herald

Gardening: The purple craze!

The colour purple comprises two primary colours, blue and red. It is associated throughout the ages with royalty, wisdom, power and luxury. It also invokes creativity, magic and extravagance. The colour purple in our gardens is a distinctive and powerful statement. Article content Purple is not just one colour. It ranges from lavender, mauve and lilac onwards to plum and pomegranate, and into the deep colours of royal purple and wine. The variations are endless! Article content Article content Article content In nature, purple is one of the rarest colours for foliage, yet one of the most popular colours for flowers. Both have an ecological and environmental impact beyond their appearance. Purple in flowers acts as nectar stripes that guide pollinators towards the nectar and pollen within the flower, increasing the chances for pollination and fertilization to occur. In fruit, the seeds, pods, and fruit attract herbivores that eat them and distribute the seeds elsewhere. Both are essential reproductive functions. Article content Article content Purple foliage has come about from genetic mutations and doesn't convey any benefits to plants. If there was a benefit, then it wouldn't be so rare in nature. Yet, there is one advantage of sorts — we desire those purple-leafed plants, we select them, care for them and tend them, and ensure that they reproduce! Article content The colour purple in our plants is from the presence of anthocyanins. Beyond being simple pigments, they protect leaves from excessive light, almost like sunscreen for plants! The presence of anthocyanins can also protect from some diseases and pests, as well as improve stress tolerance. Article content Article content Our purple vegetables include root crops, with Purple Haz' carrots still being a favourite. The Purple Top White Globe turnip is an old heirloom that still delivers. Radishes are represented by many varieties and cultivars, including Easter Egg and Royal Purple. Beets typify our purple vegetables, with all sorts, from the heirlooms Detroit Red, Cylindra, and Bull's Blood to the newest hybrid Boro. There are many purple onions, ranging from the heirloom Red Wethersfield to the hybrid Redwing. Article content Article content Leafy purple vegetables include a wide variety of lettuces with a few of my favourites being the heirlooms Cimmaron and Prizehead, both dating back to the 1700s. Then there's Pomegranate Crunch and Darkness, which are among the most purple of them all. Purple kale includes Redbor and a new one called Rainbow Candy Crush. Swiss chard is known for its colourful stems. Rhubarb has deep red stems and purplish dark green leaves.