Add a unique touch of color and drama to your garden by adding black flowers and plants. These plants can also be grown in containers.

First thing first, black plants are not really black, but dark purple, deep burgundy, maroon or red. These type of flowers and plants of black color can transform any garden or container garden in an exquisite way, they add a tropical touch and look exceptional when grown with other bright colored plants.

1. Tulip ‘Queen of Night’

Beautiful and dramatic, this tremendous closest to black flower appears in deep maroon color in spring. This variety can be mixed with white or pink tulips or other bright colored flower to create an astonishing view.

Good thing is that it is a low maintenance plant and usually easy to grow, that makes it a good plant for beginners. This fairly cold hardy plant blooms in mid or late spring under USDA Zones 3 to 8.

2. Petunia, Sophistica Blackberry Hybrid

Newly engendered varieties like ‘Black Velvet Petunia’ or ‘Black Cat Petunia’ look almost black but it may be hard and expensive to find their seeds. However, beautiful petunia, ‘Sophistica blackberry’ is an easier option. The dark flowers of this annual are actually deep reddish or burgundy in color and can be grown in window boxes, pots, beds and borders.

3. Helleborus ‘Onyx Odyssey’

The dark burgundy or nearly black hellebores are highly appreciated for their color. This lovely perennial can easily be grown in containers in part to full sun. Provide good air circulation around the plant and keep the soil well moist. Grows best in USDA zones 5-9 hellebores are early bloomers and flower in spring.

4. Viola ‘Molly Sanderson’

Violas ‘Molly Sanderson’ are another excellent option to enjoy flowers in black color, can be grown in both on the ground or in containers, flowers appear from spring to fall. They are very good around pale yellow primroses or multicolor pansies.

5. Iris ‘Before the Storm’

Irises are widely used in gardens and are available in almost every color imaginable, including chocolate and this new variety ‘Before the Storm’ of black color. This slightly fragrant iris requires a sunny position and well-drained soil in order to grow.

Also Read: Gardener’s Guide on Companion Plants for Iris

6. Physocarpus Opulifolius ‘Diabolo’ syn. ‘Monlo’

A versatile and appealing shrub with white flowers and deep burgundy foliage that looks black in shade or in dark. It is easy to grow and tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, it grows best in USDA Zones 2-7 and must be planted in an area of partial shade in warmer zones due to the reason that in higher heat the foliage can become green.

7. Black Baccara Rose

This dramatic tea rose due to its bold color and upright habit looks stunning, it is one of the best black flowers. Its almost black color and fragrant blooms make an amazing display in the garden. The leathery green foliage are reddish when young. The flowers appear blacker in cool weather.

8. Hollyhock ‘Nigra’

Hollyhocks are beautiful, they look exceptional when flowers appear on their tall strong stems. But, particularly, this unique variety hollyhock, Alcea rosea ‘Nigra’ bears breathtaking chocolate maroon flowers that look almost black towards the center. Hollyhocks are old traditional plants, easy to grow and grow in a variety of climates easily (both in cool and warm climates in USDA Zones 3-10a).

Hollyhocks are old traditional plants, easy to grow and grow in a variety of climates easily (both in cool and warm climates in USDA Zones 3-10a).

9. Wine and Roses (Weigela florida)

This variety of Weigela is sold as ‘Wine and Roses’ or ‘Alexandra’, it offers a surprising combination of flowers in pink tones immersed in a deep burgundy foliage, looks black like. Suitable for cold climates, it likes full sun but tolerates some light shade too, this small shrub can also be grown in containers; easy to grow and bloom profusely in spring or early summer and continue to bloom throughout the summer season.

10. Black Beauty ‘Elderberry’

Another excellent choice within our list of black flowers and plants is Sambucus nigra ‘Gerda’, valued for its purple-black foliage, pink flowers, and juicy edible fruits. Elderberry can be used to add foliage interest in the garden but it looks especially wonderful when its flowers appear in summer. These flowers cover the plant and emit a light lemon like fragrance, then, the dark purple berries appear.

11. Calla Lily ‘Black Star’

One of the most decorative flowers the ‘Black Star’ bloom is deep purple with a spathe that is almost black, it looks attractive in combination with light green foliage spotted with red tips. It can be planted in containers, in the garden border.

12. Black Mondo Grass

A wonderful alternative for warm climates in rock gardens, borders or in a pot. The ‘black mondo grass’ grows about 12 inches tall and can extend up to 6-12 inches wide. In spring, the new dark green foliage emerges and then in summer it changes into a very deep purple-black. Also by mid-summer tiny bell-shaped white flowers appear, followed by small black seeds.

13. Aeonium Arboreum

This subtropical subshrub is an impressive and dramatic plant. This tall succulent has rosettes of dark reddish brown or burgundy leaves and yellow flowers that appear from summer through fall. The plant is more suitable to warm climates and should be protected in winters in cold climates.

14. Canna- Black Tropicanna

Bring a tropical touch with this plant to your garden. With its bright flowers and dark bronze to chocolate color large foliage, it can bring a great impact to your garden. More suitable for warmer zones, it must be planted in an area that receives at least six hours of daily sun.

15. Dahlia ‘Arabian Night’

Dahlias become most beautiful cut flowers. This cultivar dahlia ‘Arabian night’ has deep purple-red flowers. The flowers look black like in shade. Growing dahlia requires full sun, however, shade in the afternoon in warm climates is preferable.

16. Colocasia ‘Black Magic’

Colocasia ‘black magic’ is an astonishing plant that can be identified from its dramatic large and dark purple-black dusty leaves. This ‘Elephant Ear’ requires warmth and heat to thrive as it is a tropical plant and grows best in warm temperates and subtropical to tropical climates (USDA Zones 8-11). But even living in colder areas, you can enjoy this as an annual. It is a great idea to use it as a focal point by surrounding bright and colorful plants around it.

17. Coleus ‘Black Prince’

The coleus is one of the most widespread species and most popular when it comes to choosing striking foliage plants for the garden. The coleus ‘Black Prince’ can be grown for its unusual solid black foliage and small flowers, either as a perennial in warm subtropical or tropical regions or as an annual in temperates. It is a perfect plant for borders and can be used in combinations with other plants in containers.

Also Read: Heat Tolerant Flowers

18. Silver-Laced Primrose (Primula ‘Victoriana Lace Silver Black’)

Beautiful! This gorgeous flower is one of the rarest and difficult to obtain Primulas. It produces flowers of black-brown color with a scalloped silver edges and a golden center. Blooms are fragrant and appear in spring. This plant can be grown in cool and warm temperate regions (USDA Zones 5-9), it prefers partial shade and moist soil.

19. Heuchera ‘Obsidian’

Also called ‘Obsidian Coral Bells’ it is one of the most beautiful black color plants in our list that you can grow in borders, in flower beds or in containers to add an all season foliage interest to your garden. Its tiny flowers are also attractive, this plant requires cool weather and partial shade to thrive.

20. Bat Flower

Tacca bat flower (Tacca chantieri) is really a unique, rare and exotic flower that mimics a bat in flight. The plant requires warm subtropical or tropical weather in order to grow outside, in a cold climate you can grow it outside.