This small tree is grown for its purple foliage and smokey blooms that appear in summer.  Its oval leaves are resistant to fading in the heat and turn bright red in the fall.  The blooms are also light purple and long-lasting through the summer.

This tree has an upright loose-branched habit.  It tolerates a wide variety of soils, including clay but cannot tolerate wet conditions.  It prefers full sun and is drought tolerant.  This tree works well as an accent or in a tree row.