The color purple is often considered rare and exotic in the natural world. Unlike colors like green, brown or blue, bright vivid purple is not as commonly found in plants, animals or minerals. However, purple does have an important place in nature and can be found in a diverse array of organisms and settings if you know where to look.
In this article, we’ll examine the uniqueness of the color purple, why it is generally rare, where you can find it in the natural world, and some special examples of purple in nature. Understanding the science behind purple’s rarity reveals an interesting story about light, pigments, perception, and evolution. Appreciating nature’s use of purple also allows us to value its special instances all the more.
What Makes Purple Rare?
Purple is an unusual color in nature because of the unique combination of properties and circumstances needed to produce it. Here are some key reasons why true, vivid purple is uncommon:
– Purple is not part of the visible light spectrum – it requires a mix of wavelengths. The different colors we see are associated with different wavelengths of visible light. Purple light does not exist as a single wavelength. To make purple, you need a combination of red (long wavelengths) and blue (short wavelengths). This mixing is not common.
– It requires multiple pigments. To reflect purple, organisms need pigments that reflect both red and blue light simultaneously. Since pigments evolve for specific purposes, having two pigments together is rarer. Most organisms only produce one color pigment.
– Blue pigments are very rare. Some purple can be made by combining a red pigment with a blue one. Blue is an extremely uncommon pigment in nature, making this pair harder to find.
– It fades easily. Purple pigments tend to be less stable than other colors, especially in sunlight. This causes purple to fade more easily, making it harder to persist over time.
– It’s associated with rare materials. Some shades of purple come from rare geological materials like manganese, cobalt and fluorite. Accessing and concentrating these materials is challenging.
So in summary, purple needs a fortuitous combination of two or more pigments, stable molecules, and available raw materials. Evolution doesn’t often drive organisms to expend energy producing purple since other colors like green efficiently serve plants’ photosynthetic needs.
Where Can You Find Purple in Nature?
While rare compared to other colors, purple can still be found across the natural world if you observe closely. Here are some of the most common and striking places purple occurs naturally:
Plants
– Lavender – These fragrant flowering plants produce purple flowers. They have evolved to attract pollinators using showy purple pigments.
– Violets – Purple violets have anthocyanin pigments that shift color based on soil pH, producing lovely shades.
– Purple basil – This edible basil variety uses purple anthocyanins to protect the plant from intense sunlight.
– Purple bell peppers – These vividly purple peppers accumulate anthocyanins as they ripen.
– Purple carrots – Carrots produce pigments called anthocyanins that turn them purple when exposed to alkaline soil or cold temperatures.
– Purple potatoes – Dozens of purple potato cultivars exist thanks to pigments called anthocyanins that provide antioxidant benefits.
– Purple cabbage – High concentrations of anthocyanins in cabbage give this vegetable its rich, purple-tinged leaves.
– Purple beans – Varieties of beans like purple-podded pole beans reveal vivid purple coloration in their bean pods as they mature.
Fruits
– Blackberries – These brambly fruits develop a deep purple-black color from anthocyanins as they ripen.
– Purple grapes – Grapes like Concord and Red Globe turn purple due to accumulation of anthocyanin pigments.
– Plums – Abundant anthocyanins in plum skin make varieties like mirabelle plums takes on a purple hue.
– Raisins – As grapes shrivel into raisins, the skin turns an intensely concentrated purple.
– Figs – Some figs like dark Mission figs take on a rich purple exterior as they ripen.
– Purple guava – This tree fruit’s purple skin is a rare example of the pigment cyanidin in nature.
Fungi
– Indigo milkcap mushroom – These striking blue mushrooms have gills that release a purple-indigo liquid when cut.
– Violet cort mushrooms – Rare violet mushrooms that obtain vivid purple hues from pigments in their fungal hyphae.
– Laccaria amethystina – A small purple mushroom that forms symbiotic relationships with the roots of trees.
Animals
– Purple frogs – This unique and endangered Indian frog has an unusual purple coloration thought to act as camouflage.
– Violet gobies – These striking purple fish have chromatophore cells that allow them to change color.
– Purple sea urchins – Sea urchins like Arbacia punctulata display brilliant purple spines.
– Violet snails – Some marine snails like Janthina janthina exhibit a violet foot coloration.
– Violet birdwing butterfly – Native to Australia, the male of this species has iridescent purple wings.
– Indigo snakes – These nonvenomous serpents have glossy bodies that shine an iridescent purple-blue.
– Violet-backed starling – Widespread in Africa, these birds sport radiant violet back plumage.
– Purple martins – These migratory swallows feature a glittering purple-blue sheen to their feathers.
Minerals
– Fluorite – This colorful mineral crystallizes in purple hues alongside other colors.
– Lepidolite – An attractive violet-colored mica mineral infused with rare lithium.
– Sugilite – This rare pink and purple mineral crystallizes into a stunning gemstone.
– Amethyst – This popular purple gemstone is composed of transparent quartz infused with iron and manganese.
– Purple beryl – When beryl forms with manganese, it creates a rare and expensive purple gem.
– Purpurite – A vivid purple mineral formed from a phosphate of iron and manganese.
Seas
– Purple tide – Dinoflagellate algae blooms often turn tide waters murky purple.
– Purple corals – Many coral species contain symbiotic purple algae giving them a purple hue.
– Purple sea stars – Sea stars like Pisaster ochraceus display brilliant purple color.
– Purple urchin eggs – Released by the millions, purple urchin eggs washing up create “red tides.”
Sky
– Purple sunsets – When red sunlight mixes with blue light in the atmosphere, vivid purple sunsets can occur.
– Purple auroras – During intense aurora events, rare red and purple auroral lights sometimes appear in the night sky.
Geography
– Purple mountains – Mountains can take on a purple hue before storms due to an optical effect.
– Rio Tinto – This Spanish river runs deep purple due to bacteria that thrive in its high iron and acidity.
– Lavender fields – Fields in places like Provence become blanketed by endless rows of fragrant purple lavender.
Special Examples of Purple in Nature
While generally uncommon, there are some truly unique organisms and phenomena that showcase nature’s use of purple in especially stunning ways:
– Violet sabrewing hummingbird – With an iridescent purple head and bright violet patches, this tropical hummingbird is a vivid spectacle. Their purple coloring is caused by curved overlapped feathers that refract light.
– Philippine purple crab – This recently discovered crab species is the only known crab with a brilliant purple carapace. The color comes from a rare amino acid called astaxanthins deposited in the shell.
– Tamil Nadu tree frog – Only discovered in India in 2018, this vibrant violet and fluorescent green frog is absolutely striking in color. But surprisingly, the frog itself cannot actually see the color purple!
– Chalchiuhtlicue azurite – Considered perhaps the world’s most perfect and largest natural azurite crystal specimen, this “blue goddess” stone shines an intense and deep purple. It was discovered in the Las Vigas mines of Mexico in 1910.
– Purple malachite – An extremely unusual and ephemeral blush of purple forms on malachite deposits due to trace minerals. This purple color rapidly fades when exposed to light and oxygen.
– Purple opal – Precious opal usually shimmers in greens or blues when hit with light. But the Lahendong Mine in Indonesia has produced rare opal samples that flash with violet and purple sparks.
– Purple squirrels – Only a handful of documented cases exist of these ultra-rare genetic mutant squirrels that exhibit vibrant purple fur instead of the usual gray or brown.
– Purple planets – Astronomers have detected a couple exoplanets orbiting distant stars that appear deep purple due to exotic atmospheric chemistry and properties.
So in summary, vivid purple coloration remains uncommon across most plant and animal species. But nature does find unique ways to produce majestic purples through specialized adaptations, rare materials, and unusual conditions. These mesmerizing examples showcase what’s possible even on the fringes of the natural color palette. Appreciating nature’s instances of purple color gives us moments to celebrate life’s beauty and diversity.
Conclusion
The color purple occupies a special place in the natural world. Its rarity derives from the particular biochemical, optical and geological requirements needed to produce it. Evolution drives most organisms to opt for more efficient colors. Yet purple still emerges in diverse organisms and settings due to structural colors, pigments, minerals, light mixing and more. Vivid purple remains at the boundaries of the visible spectrum, making its occurrences stand out all the more when discovered. Though uncommon, nature’s use of purple gives us a window into life’s endless creativity and a reminder to value each expression of its diversity.
