10 Black Flowers That Will Add Drama to Your Garden

These flowers bloom in shades of deep purple and red that are so dark, you’ll be seeing black—and loving it in your landscape.

Updated on October 15, 2024

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Black flowers add a dramatic touch to any garden. In addition to their undeniable wow factor, pollinators love them. Dark blooms absorb more solar radiation than light ones, which makes them the warmest blooms in a garden. “Bees have been proven to prefer warm nectar over cold nectar,” says Bobby Mottern, director of horticulture for Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University.

Black flowers also add depth to landscapes and floral arrangements, where darker shades seem to recede while light ones visually advance. “When you use these to juxtapose with each other, you get this fantastic depth perception that makes the garden possibly look deeper or larger,” Mottern says. “So it’s fun to play with the eye with these darker and lighter colors.”

If you want to add more drama to your garden, we asked our experts to share their favorite black and nearly black flowers. Here’s what they recommended.

• Bobby Mottern, director of horticulture for Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University in Durham, N.C.
• Dave Whitinger, executive director of the National Gardening Association

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Bearded Iris “Blackwater”

Dramatic in any color, bearded irises (Iris × germanica) are breathtaking in black. The Blackwater variety flowers for three to four weeks in inky-purple shades with an impressive deep purple beard. “If you’re going for a black Iris, that’s definitely the one to do,” says Dave Whitinger, executive director of the National Gardening Association. Remove fading blooms to send energy to the rhizomes, roots, and leaves for next season.

• Zones: 3 to 9
• Size: 36 to 40 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil

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Hellebore “Midnight Ruffles”

Hellebore (Helleborus) is an evergreen perennial that blooms in late winter to early spring and continues for a month or more. Its bloom isn’t a flower but a ring of sepals, the outer parts of a bloom that protect a new bud. The dark purple variety, Midnight Ruffles, opens in deep, dark, double rings of sepals surrounding clusters of butter-yellow stamens. 

• Zones: 4 to 9
• Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 12 to 36 inches wide
• Care requirements: Part sun, shade, sun; moist, well-drained soil

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Hollyhock “Nigra”

With deep chocolate-mahogany blooms that unfurl on stems up to 8 feet tall, this hollyhock (Alcea) variety steals the show from summer through fall. It’s fitting for a cottage garden and makes a statement planted in rows along a wood fence. 

• Zones: 2 to 10
• Size: 36 to 48 inches tall x 12 to 36 inches wide
• Growing conditions: Full sun; rich, moist, well-drained soil (but tolerates clay, silt, or sand)

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Hyacinth “Midnight Mystic”

The first black hyacinth (Hyacinthus), Midnight Mystic, was released in 2005 and quickly embraced by gardeners for its glossy purple-black blooms and far-reaching fragrance. Avoid adding too much organic matter to the soil when planting to encourage strong, upright stalks.

• Zones: 4 to 8
• Size: 7 to 8 inches tall x 3 inches wide
• Care requirements: Sun to part shade; loose, well-drained soil

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Pansy “Black Beauty”

Add personality to your spring and summer planters with this dramatic pansy (Viola spp.) variety. Bright yellow centers peer out from midnight black blooms. Pair it with other brightly-hued pansies for a pop of color and depth.

• Zones: 7 to 11
• Size: 4 to 8 inches tall x 4 to 6 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full or partial sun; well-drained soil

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Petunia “Black Magic”

Gardeners call this the blackest of the black petunias. Its deep, dark blooms look like velvet against the plant’s bright green leaves and play nicely with flowers of any other shade. Water container petunias once or twice daily. In the ground, they can go a week without water but will need more during hot weather. 

• Zones: 10 to 11 (grown as an annual elsewhere)
• Size: 10 to 16 inches tall x 16 to 20 inches wide
• Care requirements: Sun; well-drained soil

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Andean Sage

Andean sage (Salvia Discolor) is a bushy perennial native to Peru and produces deep indigo-blue blooms that dangle from ethereal silver-gray foliage umbrellas. “The thing I love about salvias is that almost all of them are attractive to hummingbirds,” Mottern says. “And hummingbirds are just one of the most charismatic animals you can invite to your gardens.”

• Zones: 10 to 11 (grown as an annual elsewhere)
• Size: 24 inches tall x 4 to 20 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil

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Sunflower “Black Beauty”

Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are known for their yellow blooms, but they’re beautiful in black, too. “People love sunflowers,” Mottern says. “They bring a lot of joy to folks, they’re always fun to have in the landscape, and they hold up well in arrangements.” This pollen-free variety produces beautiful maroon flowers with dark green foliage from summer until frost.

• Zones: 2 to 11
• Size: 4 to 6 feet tall x 18 to 24 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun; well-drained soil

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Tulip “Queen of Night”

A late-blooming tulip (Tulipa), Queen of Night produces deep maroon-black blooms on sturdy stems that last in the garden and arrangements. Take a tip from the Dutch and plant en masse for dramatic effect. For contrast, create beds or blocks of white, lavender, or yellow blooms nearby.  

• Zones: 3 to 8
• Size: 28 to 30 inches tall x 6 to 9 inches wide
• Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-drained soil