1 6

Purpurea New Zealand Burr

Purpurea New Zealand Burr

ACAENA inermis 'Purpurea'

Customers rate us 4.5/5 based on 101 reviews.
  • Full Sun (6+ hrs) and Partial Sun / Shade (3-6 hrs)
  • High drought resistance
  • Attracts bees
  • Ships as a 4"plant
  • Mature spread is 18"-24"
  • Ground cover and Compact
$10.99
$10.99
Sale Sold out
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Will this plant work in your area?

Enter your ZIP code to find your USDA hardiness zone.

View full details

Purpurea New Zealand Burr (Acaena inermis 'Purpurea') is a low-growing, carpet-forming groundcover celebrated for its extraordinary deep burgundy-purple foliage. Fine, pinnate leaves create an intricate, feathery texture that spreads gracefully over rocks, along pathways, and between stepping stones. In summer, tiny globular reddish-brown seed heads rise just above the foliage mat on slender stems, adding a whimsical, textural accent that persists into fall.

Cultivated from Professional Grade root systems, Purpurea Acaena fills gaps in garden beds and rock gardens with rich color while crowding out weeds naturally. Its dense, ground-hugging habit makes it ideal for slopes, crevice planting, wall edges, and container thrillers with upright companions. Highly adaptable and exceptionally resilient, it performs beautifully in full sun to part shade and handles foot traffic and drought remarkably well once established.

Why You'll Love It

  • Striking Purple-Bronze Foliage: Deep burgundy-purple finely textured leaves create a year-round carpet of rich color that pairs dramatically with silver, chartreuse, and lime foliage companions.
  • Superb Groundcover Habit: Dense, spreading mat suppresses weeds naturally while filling gaps between rocks, pavers, and stepping stones with effortless elegance.
  • Unique Ornamental Seed Heads: Small, globe-shaped reddish-brown burs rise above the foliage in summer, adding three-dimensional texture and seasonal interest through fall.
  • Drought & Heat Tolerant: Once established, handles dry conditions with ease — an excellent choice for water-wise and low-irrigation garden designs.
  • Versatile Placement: Thrives in rock gardens, slopes, crevice plantings, wall tops, container edges, and between stepping stones in a garden path.

These 4" healthy live plants thrive in full sun to part shade in sharply drained, lean-to-moderate soil — avoid heavy, waterlogged conditions. Water moderately until established, then reduce irrigation significantly. Best suited for USDA Hardiness Zones 6–9. Mature height: 3–4 inches; spread: 12–24 inches. Summer seed heads provide bonus textural interest. No deadheading needed; trim lightly in early spring to refresh the mat.

We use expedited shipping policies to protect plant health and minimize plant stress in transit.  All plants are in transit for only 1-3 days. (This does not guarantee 3-day delivery as orders are not always packed and sent out on the day of your order.) We send out deliveries on a weekly schedule to ensure quick transit times, so your order may not be packaged and shipped until later in the week. For instance, we may hold shipments to avoid weekend delays that keep plants in transit for longer.

All packaging includes eco-friendly material and our shipping methods are tested regularly to ensure plants arrive healthy upon arrival.

Additionally, any delays or damages in shipping are covered by our Healthy Plant Guarantee.

If you're plants arrived damaged, we will happily replace them for free!

Please contact us, send a picture, and detail any damage, so that we can continue to improve our shipping process and make sure you receive the healthy plants you paid for.

Mature Height is Up to 6"

Mature Spread is 18"-24"

Watering: Let dry

Blooms in:

  • Summer

Special Features:

  • Ground cover

Reviews

4.52 ★ (101)
Verified