Indian bean tree 'Purpurea' | Catalpa erubescens Purpurea - Height 40-50cm Width 60-80cm - 7lt

The Purple Indian Bean Tree is a deciduous shrub, grown here for its striking foliage. Large, heart-shaped leaves emerge a deep purple-black in spring, gradually maturing to a bronzed green as the season progresses, giving a rich colour contrast within the border or as a specimen planting. Growth is dense and bushy when maintained as a shrub, forming a rounded, compact habit that responds well to pruning, encouraging even more vigorous and vividly coloured new growth. Spring and early summer are the times of greatest interest, when the newly unfurled purple leaves are at their most vibrant, fading slightly as summer progresses but still offering good textural and colour interest through to autumn. If allowed to develop beyond a regularly pruned shrub form, mature specimens can produce foxglove-like white flowers marked with purple and yellow throats during mid to late summer, which are attractive to pollinating insects such as bees. This plant performs best in a sheltered, sunny position, protected from strong winds and late frosts which can damage the young foliage. It adapts well to a range of soil types, including loamy and clay soils, provided drainage is reasonable.