Black Magic: Try These 8 Dark Flowering Plants For A Black Flower Garden Filled With Drama

Growers may choose a black flower garden for a variety of reasons. A dark flower garden is sure to impart dramatic beauty into any yard. If you fancy creating a garden with a theme, selecting dark plants for color gives you an anchor point around which to set out your entire growing space. Plants used in contrast help create an alluring statement or focal element, while monochromatic designs help to evoke an intense mood. Here, we’ll explore some of the most exquisite and elegant black garden flowers you can grow.

Planting for a Black Flower Garden

In nature, there are no naturally occurring true-black flowers. Black flowers for garden themes, in most instances, include deep purples, dark chocolates and rich burgundies. Black flower types are available across a wide range of species. This includes native types and hybrids which have been bred specifically for their enhanced color and bloom. Several annuals, biennials, perennials and flowering bulbs make great candidates for beds and containers in a dark flower garden.

Place dark plants in sunny areas so they don’t get lost. Plant color may vary, depending on soil pH, location and light levels. You may find it helps to choose lighter shades for adjacent and neighboring plantings to intensify the tones of your black colored plants. Blacks work especially well with golds, silvers, whites and pastel tones.

1. ‘Arabian Night’ Dahlia

Popular among flower farmers for its unique black flowers, ‘Arabian Night’ dahlia produces dark, mysterious blooms. It adds a sophisticated or gothic twist to beds and borders, depending on broader planting schemes. Deep burgundy-black buds are held atop strong stems, adding height and dimension to your growing space.

As the production of blooms will continue from summer through fall, plants offer lasting appeal, attracting pollinators and a large range of beneficial insects. These dahlias are hardy to USDA zones 8-11. For an elegant yet brooding planting companion, grow with ‘Munstead’ lavender, available in the Gardening Know How Shop.

2. ‘Black Barlow’ Columbine

Blooming in spring, ‘Black Barlow’ columbine plants (Aquilegia vulgaris) are sure to add drama to early season beds. Established plants bloom prolifically, producing graceful purple-black flower heads that keep their cool through early summer.

Like most columbine flowers, this variety is ideal for container gardening and shaded beds, provided the planting site drains well. Though the perennial can be grown from seed, cold stratification may be needed to improve rates of germination. Columbine is hardy in USDA zones 3-9.

3. ‘Black Magic’ Rose

A dark variety of tea rose, ‘Black Magic’ is beloved for its sultry, velvet-like appearance. With its intense semi-double blooms, it is considered one of the darkest rose varieties available, as well as one of the most romantic roses you can grow. Large shrubs can be grown to form dense hedges or situated through mixed borders.

For a pretty contrast rose in a black flower bed edging, try palest pink ‘New Dawn’ or intense ‘Coral Knock Out’ roses, both available in the Gardening Know How Shop. ‘Black Magic’ roses demonstrate an impressive resistance to disease and are hardy in USDA zones 6-10.

4. ‘Black Prince’ Snapdragon

Though most snapdragon plant varieties are available as transplants, gardeners are often looking for black flower seeds. Luckily, ‘Black Prince’ snapdragon can be grown from seed with ease. You can expect cool-season plants to begin blooming in summer, producing large, deeply colored spikes of mahogany flowers.

It is usually grown as an annual, but if you live in USDA zones 7-10 you can expect this short-lived perennial to return on a seasonal basis. For an attractive contrast plant in borders, try a pop of gold with yellow flowers such as craspedia ‘Yellow Billy Buttons’ or ‘Teddy Bear’ sunflowers.

5. ‘Dark Vader’ Iris

Deep purple or black varieties of bearded iris are reassuringly common. ‘Dark Vader’ is one such example, producing both dark standards and falls. Dwarf in stature, this iris is an ideal candidate for a black flower bed or border, or a thematic container.

This plant is really easy to grow, often multiplying where conditions are ideal. Bearded irises are hardy to USDA zones 3-9. For a gorgeous contrast companion, try a black-eyed or brown-eyed Susan such as ‘Blackjack Gold’ rudbeckia, available in the Gardening Know How Shop.

6. ‘Midnight Mystic’ Hyacinth

Among the darkest varieties of hyacinth, ‘Midnight Mystic’ may very well be the best black flower bed edging plant. Deep purple blooms open in early spring, differing greatly from more traditional pastel shades.

Allowing each flower to fade naturally, with plants remaining in the garden as long as possible, can encourage perennializing where conditions are hardy. Hyacinth bulbs are best grown in USDA zones 4-8. For a statement border, plant some gleaming white flowers amongst these ultra dark hyacinths.

7. ‘Nigra’ Hollyhock

A popular biennial, hollyhock plants are frequently grown to create a dramatic visual impact. ‘Nigra’ plants stand tall, revealing large numbers of dark burgundy blooms. The flowers are highly attractive to pollinators, making them ideal for naturalized spaces and cottage gardens. When allowed to drop seed, growers can expect the plant to volunteer freely. Plants are hardy in USDA zones 3-9.

8. ‘Queen of the Night’ Tulip

‘Queen of the Night’ tulips are beloved for their long, tall stems. Standing well above other early-season varieties, this tulip cultivar is favored by flower farmers as well as anyone hoping to create a dramatic contrast in the garden, particularly where other plants may lean towards pale purples and silvers.

This tulip looks particularly enchanting when used en masse or arranged into large pots and containers. It’s normal to renew these bulbs annually, but if you live in USDA zones 4-7 you may find they perennialize.

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