Purple Prince Alternanthera Seeds

The first compact Joyweed (Alternanthera) grown just for containers. Purple Prince, descended from the popular full-sized Purple Knight, boasts all the rich color and easy care of its parent without the wide-spreading habit. You will love these ruby-red to burgundy-maroon leaves and stems from spring through fall in your best hanging baskets, tall flowerpots, tubs, and annual beds.

Purple Prince reaches just 10 to 16 inches high and spreads less than two feet wide. It grows just as quickly and vigorously as other Alternanthera varieties, but remains compact and dense, a lovely stand-alone in containers as well as a foreground and underplanting in mixed combos. Just give it sunshine to partial shade, good watering during its first weeks to help it find its feet, and decent soil drainage. This heat-lover does the rest.

Purple Prince thrives in heat and humidity, and unlike older varieties, can tolerate a bit of drought. It will be more red and purple in full sun, more burgundy and russet in part shade—and both looks are incredible.

Combine this Joyweed with spreading petunias, lime zinnias, and hot-pink annuals of all types. It grows readily from seed (best begun indoors), and can be set outdoors when night temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees. Very robust and well-branched, it is a better grower from seed than it is from cuttings, and will delight you from spring till hard frost.