15 Types Of Black Plants

Black plants are the perfect addition to any garden. Their shocking but beautiful color is sure to turn heads and start conversations, while also adding some great depth and class to your flowerbed.

Their unique look is dramatic and will give your garden or plot a dark and mysterious feel. You can also use them as a border to keep things looking organized and attractive. 

But what types of black plants are there? With the main focus of plants typically being on their bright colors and interesting shapes, black plants are often overlooked as boring or bland.

However, the array of black plants on this list proves that these plants are perfect for any and all gardens, plots, and flower beds.

So let’s take a look at 15 of the most stunning and interesting black plants in the world. 

What Makes Black Plants Great?

Before we look at some different varieties of black plants, here’s why black plants are so great.

Black plants add a mysterious and dramatic quality to a garden or plot. Because of their unusual color, they are striking and beautiful, and stand out anywhere.

Black plants and flowers will match also anything, and are perfect for borders or adding depth to a flower bed. While they may blend into the shadows in dark or shaded plots, they really stand out in the light.

This contrast makes them great alongside other plants, where they provide some well-needed balance.

Contrary to their appearance, black plants are often just darker shades of red, purple, or brown, and only a few are truly black. However, these plants still look gorgeous and striking, and are perfect in any garden 

Black Plants: From A-Z

Arabian Night Dahlia

Dahlia’s are renowned for their beauty. The Arabian Night Dahlia, with its stunning deep red flowers that look black in the shade, is no exception.

The beautiful arrangement of petals doesn’t look crowded, while the intricate layering of this flower is sure to make it stand out against the rest.

Particularly in more shaded areas, this flower features many layers of gorgeous color, from black to blood red.

Bat Flower

This oddly shaped flower is supposed to look like a bat in flight. While the gnarled petals on top look pretty peculiar, their tall stature and unique shape make them one of the most unique flowers out there.

Due to the size of this plant, you’ll need a lot of space to grow it. Its dark brown flowers and large leaves grow tall and wide, so make sure there is enough room for it to grow properly.

The Bat Flower also needs a high temperature, with tropical or subtropical weather giving it the nourishment it requires.

Black Baccara Rose

Black roses are enchanting and mysterious, and add a dramatic twist to the stereotypically romantic flower.

The Black Baccara Rose has beautiful overlapping petals that look stunning. Their deep red turns to black over time, and mature roses are something to behold.

Because of their bold color and the way they grow tall and straight, Black Baccara Roses look incredible either as a centerpiece to your garden, or as a secret tucked out of sight.

Black Magic Mangave

This spiky-leafed succulent looks like a goth Aloe plant, the usual green swapped out for inky black.

Keeping these in individual pots means you can place them anywhere you want. Alternatively, add them to the corners and borders of flower beds to bring more attention to your selection.

Just make sure to keep these succulents in the sunlight, as this makes their leaves darker.

Black Mondo Grass

Black Mondo Grass looks unnatural at first glance, as if it doesn’t belong to this world. That said, it is the perfect highlight for rock gardens or on a windowsill pot.

This grass grows to around a foot in length, and can be just as wide. The long, dark blades look shocking and strange when dispersed among regular green grass.

Black Prince Echeveria

This is another succulent, although it’s smaller and neater than the Black Magic Mangave. The Black Prince Echeveria is a petite plant with small overlapping layers of petals-shaped leaves.

These leaves are a soft velvety black, although the smaller leaves in the middle are a deep green.

This succulent is ideal in a pot on the windowsill where it will get plenty of direct sunlight.

Dark Dimension Hyacinth

Another strangely shaped flower, the Dark Dimension Hyacinth definitely looks out of this world.

This stunning hyacinth features small clusters of tiny black petals arranged in a large clump. These balance almost comically on the top of bright green stalks.

The Dark Dimension Hyacinth is one of the few truly black flowers out there, and their coal-black blooms are sure to catch the eye.

Green Wizard Coneflower

This delightfully named flower has an equally strange appearance. The dark black cones on top of their long, thin stems give them their name.

These flowers can grow incredibly tall, anywhere from 3’-5’ high, and grow together in large groups.

Because of its toughness, you can grow these perennial plants even in wet and gloomy gardens without having to worry about them dying.

Odessa Calla Lily

The soft, dark petals on this gorgeous lily contrast perfectly with the pale green of its leaves.

Although the trumpet-shaped flowers are actually just a deep purple, they still manage to look black in most lights.

If you’re looking for something elegant as a centerpiece to your garden, then this is the flower for you.

Onyx Odyssey Helleborus

While its name is a bit of a mouthful, that’s far from the most interesting part about this flower.

The dark borders of the Onyx Odyssey Helleborus give way to a dusky blue, which perfectly compliments the pale stigma in the center.

These flowers are remarkably easy to grow, and thrive most with moist soil, good air circulation, and plenty of exposure to the sun.

Queen Of Night Tulip

Tulips come in every color you could imagine. This aptly named variant of the tulip boasts a dramatic dark red that appears black in the sun.

The Queen of Night Tulip is certainly a regal sight, standing tall with its iconic cup-shaped flowers.

You can mix these tulips in with other, brighter tulips to create a stark contrast. Alternatively, you can plant these with other flower varieties for a stand-out centerpiece

Silver Laced Primrose

These adorable primroses feature small multicolored flowers with an intriguing design. The scalloped petals have a silver border, with a bright yellow center.

While black may not be the dominant color of the Silver Laced Primrose, it creates a fantastic contrast to the brighter colors this flower has to offer.

The Silver Laced Primrose grows in the spring, and emits a sweet fragrance when they are in bloom.

Why not add these flowers to a hanging basket or small pot for a pop of color amidst the black?

Sophistica Blackberry Petunia

The Sophistica Blackberry is one of several black varieties of petunia. While the burgundy petals aren’t completely black, they darken significantly towards the flower’s interior.

Like most types of petunia, the petals of the Sophistica Blackberry look like they are made of velvet. With their dark color and flowing texture, these flowers almost look like they are in a mourning dress.

That said, adding some of these flowers to your garden is sure to add a layer of drama and mystery, while also looking beautiful.

Sweetunia Black Satin

Looking for some more velvety black flowers? The Sweetunia Black Satin more than lives up to its name.

With an appearance similar to a flowing dress, the horn-shaped flowers are accompanied by bright green leaves, which break up the petals and add more life to this plant.

These flowers are perfect for hanging baskets, providing gorgeous black flowers as well as a welcome splash of color. 

Zantedeschia Black Star

If you want something elegant and attractive, then this is the flower for you.

The Zantedeschia Black Star has tall, trumpet-shaped flowers that are such a dark purple that they seem darker than many of the truly black flowers on this list.

Not only do the petals have a gorgeous and classy shape, but their waxy coating makes them sturdy as well as beautiful.

The long and wavy leaves that spread around the flower’s long stems don’t obstruct the petals themselves. Instead, they provide a glossy wreath around the flower that puts them front and center without making things crowded. 

The Zantedeschia Black Star is a dramatic plant that looks fantastic in its own bowl or as the star of the show in a larger flower patch.

Final Thoughts

So now you know a bit more about some of the black plants we share our planet with. These gorgeous plants can be cultivated at home, or are a great sight to look out for during a nature walk. 

The mysterious and dramatic appearance of black plants doesn’t make a flower patch look gloomy and depressing – in fact, they are perfect for use as borders, or can be interspersed among brighter flowers so they stand out and draw attention to your garden.

Whether you want to look out for black plants in the wild or want to look after some yourself, we hope this guide has given you some ideas of the best black flowers out there.