Updated Jun. 07, 2024
Black flowers may not be everyone's fave, but we can't get enough of these statement-making, attention-grabbing, out-of-the-ordinary black beauties.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
Hollyhocks, Alcea rosea, stand tall in any garden, with flower spikes growing up to six feet tall. ‘Blackknight‘ and ‘Nigra’ are two varieties with almost black, single-petal flowers.
This perennial flower, hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 3 through 9, prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Once established, hollyhocks can tolerate some periods of dryness. Stake them in windy areas to keep them from falling over just as they bloom.
Officially known as Aquilegia vulgris var. stellata ‘Black Barrow,‘ this perennial columbine, aka Granny’s Bonnets, grows up to 18 inches tall. It features dark plum-colored, almost black, double-flowering blooms in late spring. Hardy in USDA Zones 3 through 9, it’s considered a short-lived perennial.
Grow it from seed or purchase plants. If blooms are left to form seeds, it will often self-sow around a garden, but seedlings are easy to pull out where you don’t want them. If growing around other similar columbines with different flower colors, they will cross-pollinate, and seedlings may be any color.
If you prefer darker flowers that bloom later in the fall, grow Cosmos ‘Black Magic.’ This annual is one of many fall-blooming flowers that will add interest to your garden when others are fading.
Purchase cosmos seeds to sow in spring after your frost-free date. They like full sun and well-drained soil. In addition to dark flowers, ‘Black Magic’ also smells like chocolate. Grow it alongside traditional cosmos with blooms in pink shades for a stunning display.
Another great late-blooming flower, ‘Dahlia ‘Black Satin,‘ adds a little dark mystery to your garden. Its dark red flowers are almost black in their centers.
Dahlias are easy to grow as perennial flowers in Zones 8 through 10, or as annual flowers in colder zones. Purchase tubers to pot up in early spring, then plant them when all danger of frost is past. Or you can plant them directly in the garden. In colder zones, dig up the tubers in the fall to save them to grow again the following year.
In early spring, no one expects to see black flowers unless they’re growing Helleborus ‘Wedding Party Dark and Handsome.’ This early-blooming perennial pairs well with other brighter-colored hellebores to provide contrast with its dark, nearly black blooms.
Hellebores grow best in well-drained soils with part-shade. They’re hardy in Zones 3 through 8. Once established, they don’t require much to keep them going other than trimming off old foliage in late winter. The flowers hang on for several months.
Bearded iris is one of those flowers that might just come in every color imaginable, including black. Iris ‘Black is Black‘ is a perennial flower hardy in Zones 3 through 9. It grows about three feet tall, with the dark, almost black blooms appearing in mid-spring.
These grow best in full sun and average soil. They can grow trouble-free for many years when grown with other irises, or mixed into a border with other perennial flowers.
Calla Lily ‘Black Forest’ is another unusual addition to any collection of black flowers. Calla lilies are easy to grow in the ground or a container. They’re hardy in Zones 8 through 10, but can be grown in colder areas as a tropical plant or tender annual.
In colder areas, dig up the rhizomes in the fall to overwinter in a cold but not freezing location. Then replant in spring to enjoy the dark blooms again.
Several tulips come in shades dark enough to be almost black, including ‘Queen of Night.‘ Tulips are hardy in Zones 3 through 8.
Plant tulip bulbs in mid-to-late fall in areas with full sun in spring, like around deciduous trees. They prefer well-drained soils and require a cold period before growing and flowering. Cut back spent blooms in spring to encourage bulb formation for the following year’s flowers.
Until black petunias like ‘Black Cat.‘came along, it was hard to plant a display of annual flowers in my college’s school colors of black and gold.
Petunias are easy-to-grow annual flowers. You can sow seeds for them indoors in early spring, about eight weeks before your predicted last frost, or buy starter plants. They grow well in sunny locations in the ground or in containers.
Many new varieties continue to flower even if old blooms aren’t removed, but cutting them back occasionally keeps them flowering well all the way until frost in fall.
Pansies love the cooler days of spring and fall. And fall is the perfect time to feature a black pansy like ‘Black Accord,‘ or the closely related smaller-flowering Viola ‘Black Delight.‘ Pansies and violas thrive in cooler temperatures in well-drained soil.
Start them from seeds sown indoors, or buy plants early in spring or in late summer for fall planting. They may overwinter in milder climates.
Another nearly black flower for the perennial garden is Baptisia ‘Decadence Dark Chocolate,’Â aka False Indigo. It grows in Zones 4 through 9 and prefers sunny locations. It isn’t too fussy about soil as long as it isn’t too wet.
After flowering, Baptisia fades into the background with blue-green foliage. Remove old foliage before early spring when new growth emerges from the roots.
Black Bat Flower, Tacca chantieri ‘Black,’ is a tropical plant hardy in Zones 9 and warmer that can also be grown as a houseplant. The dark, unusual flowers show up in late summer and early fall, resembling a bat or cat face. It grows up to three feet tall and prefers part-shade to shade, so put it in a big container you can bring inside for the winter.
Originally Published: May 18, 2023
