20 Unique and Dramatic Black Flowers to Plant

Nothing is more mysterious and dramatic to plant in your garden than black flowers.

The color may seem like bad luck, but it also describes acceptance toward death, loss, and mystery.

Most “black” flowers just have dark maroon, purple, or blue shades. Nevertheless, they still bring drama and unique look among the more popular bright colors.

Here are 20 flowers with “black” shades you can plant in the garden.

1. New York Night Hellebore

New York Night is hybrid hellebore with a deep plum or black-purple color. The five wide petals surround a small yellow center.

These flowers start blooming in late winter, welcoming the spring in a dramatic way.

They live in any soil and thrive with low maintenance but cannot tolerate direct sunlight.

2. Bat Flower (Tacca chantieri)

Bat flower is a tropical plant with bat-like flower petals and long “whiskers”.

The plant thrives under partial shade, because it originated from the rainforest floor. Bat flower loves rich, well-drained soil and regular watering.

3. Midnight Poppy

The Midnight is one of the oriental poppy hybrids. It grows from a single, 30-cm high stalk. The color is deep burgundy.

Midnight poppies are great summer blooms, which thrive on sandy soil and under full sun.

Cutting the stalk into foliage and leaving the seedpods after blooming ensure robust growth.

4. Black Magic Hollyhock (Alcea rosea)

Black Magic Hollyhock is perhaps one of the darkest among the so-called “black flowers”.

Black Magic is a perennial flower that thrives in well-drained soil, under the full sun.

It tolerates almost any soils except wet or winter one. Black Magic Hollyhock needs pruning in fall for robust growth.

5. Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus)

Chocolate cosmos is a Mexican perennial plant with dark red flowers. The flowers bloom from summer to fall and produce chocolate-like scent.

They love fertile, well-drained soil with full sun. Chocolate cosmos cannot tolerate frost and need regular deadheading.

6. Pansy (Viola tricolor)

Pansies have dark purple varieties that are referred to as “black”, but they have the same characteristics with regular pansies.

The flowers grow in spring, requiring full sun with regular watering and well-drained soil. They are perfect for gardens and planters.

7. Hyacinth ‘Dark Dimension’

Dark Dimension is a beautiful, almost-black hyacinth hybrid that has a sweet fragrance.

The flowers bloom in spring, attracting bees and butterflies. Dark Dimension is deer-resistant, and the small blooms form a compact structure. They are perfect as cut flowers.

8. Queen of Night Tulip

Queen of Night is an exotic tulip hybrid that requires low maintenance. Delighting gardeners since 1944, Queen of Night has dark wine blooms that appear in May.

The flowers thrive under full sun and on well-drained soil. Queen of Night looks great when paired with white or purple flowers.

9. Black Forest Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)

The Black Forest hybrid of Calla lily has wine color that looks almost black. These flowers are attractive for hummingbirds, growing from mid-summer to winter.

While they can handle cold weather, Calla lilies must be sheltered indoor when the temperature drops to freezing level.

10. Black Dahlia

Black is one of the rarest hybrid colors of dahlias, but the maintenance is similar to others.

The flowers love full sun with well-drained soil and regular watering. Black dahlias are quite low-maintenance, but they cannot handle frost.

11. Black Petunia

Black petunia is the newest hybrids of petunia, launched in 2010. There are several variations of this new hybrid, such as Black Velvet (deep purple petunias) and Phantom (black with yellow stripes).

The new variations are reportedly less tolerant to drought and don’t provide enough garden coverage.

12. Black Charm Asiatic Lily

Black Charm is an Asiatic lily hybrid that has deep purple flowers, shaped like cups with opened tops. The flowers have no fragrance, but they are easy to maintain.

Black Charm plants love rich, well-drained soil and full sun. However, they need partial shade in warmer regions.

13. Viola ‘Molly Sanderson’

Viola ‘Molly Sanderson’ has dark purple color with a thin yellow dot in the middle. The flowers are quite hardy, tolerating various soil types.

They grow in summer, usually from June to August. The flowers grow in the spread as wide as 10 cm.

14. Black Baccara Rose

Black Baccara Rose has a really dark red color, but it may appear darker in winter. The roses prefer loamy, well-drained soil with full sun.

Black Baccara Rose needs organic feeding in winter and fertilizer in spring. The flowers have no scent.

15. Iris ‘Before the Storm’ (Iris germanica)

Iris ‘Before the Storm’, also known as Bearded Iris, has almost-black blooms standing on 92-cm stalks. The flowers have a sweet scent and are resistant to deer or rabbits.

Iris ‘Before the Storm’ loves rich, well-drained soil and full sun. They are perfect to emphasize a rock garden.

16. Old Black Magic Bearded Iris

Old Black Magic Bearded iris is a perennial flower that looks exotic but requires low maintenance.

The flowers have an almost black shade that simmer under the light.

They thrive on well-drained soil with regular watering. Black bearded iris blooms in April and May, but requires division after blooming.

Read more : Primrose Flower Planting and Care Guide

17. Black Widow Cranesbill Geranium

Black Widow Cranesbill Geranium as crinkled petal edges and spotted leaves.

They thrive on neutral or slightly acidic soil, with full sun (although it can handle partial shade). The flowers bloom from late spring to mid-summer.

18. Dianthus ‘King of the Black’

This carnation hybrid has double, dark burgundy blooms with ruffled petals. They stand on firm stalks and emit a clove-like aroma.

King of the Black loves moist, well-drained soil and full sun. The flowers are deer-resistant and can attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.

19. Chocolate Lily (Fritillaria camschatcensis)

Chocolate lily is a native flower of California. They love full sun and well-drained soil.

The flowers are thinner than regular lilies, but they emit chocolate-like scent. Chocolate lily attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

20. Ninebark ‘Diabolo’ (Physocarpus opulifolius)

‘Diabolo’ is a hybrid of ninebark bush planted for its dramatic foliage. The flowers are small and white, but the wide leaves are dark purple.

The leaves are most attractive in winter, and the flowers grow in spring. ‘Diabolo’ loves slightly acidic, well-drained soil and full sun.

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These black flowers are not just beautiful. They are dramatic, rare, and will create a strong statement in your garden.