Why 13 black flowers? I mean, naturally coloured black flowers – as distinct from dyed or painted ones – are probably not your first thought when thinking about a colour scheme for your garden.
Planting schemes are more likely to be colourful – yellow daffodils, red dahlias and pink roses. But one of the monochrome shades is popular – think of the famous white gardens at Sissinghurst and Hidcote for example. So why not a black flowered garden?
Admittedly the fact that this blog will first be posted on the leadup to All Hallows’ Eve – Halloween – was part of the inspiration. But the concept of single colour gardens, where shrubs and trees, the foliage and flowers of herbaceous perennials, bulbs and tubers as well as annual bedding plants are different shades of one colour has been mooted a few times in recent garden design conversations. And I’ve previously written a blog post with ideas for a white flower border (see below for link).
13 Black Flowers – the List
The list is in alphabetical order by Botanical name, with the common name following.
- Alcea rosea ‘Nigra’ black Hollyhock
- Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Black Barlow’
- Dahlia ‘Veronnes Obsidian’
- Hellebore x hybridus double black
- Iris ‘Old Black Magic’
- Lathyrus odoratus ‘Almost Black’ sweet pea
- Papaver somniferum ‘Black Peony’ annual poppy
- Petunia ‘Black Velvet’
- Rosa ‘Black Baccarat’
- Salvia ‘Black And Blue’
- Scabiosa ‘Chile black’
- Tulip ‘Black Parrot’
- Viola ‘Black Magic’
And before we get to looking at the flowers, and a few alternatives for when you go out shopping for them, lets ask the burning question: Why black flowers?
Three quick reasons why adding black flowers to a planting scheme can be a good idea.
Pollinators love the dark blooms. Not because of their drama, but because they absorb more solar radiation than light flowers. This in turn makes them warmer. And bees in particular prefer warm nectar to cold nectar, which can be critical over the cooler months as nectar is a source of energy for these foragers.
Black, and those rich dark purple shades that are almost black, add drama to a garden. If you feel a little bit nervous of too much darkness, why not grow some of the flowers on your patio in containers, thereby creating a different scheme from the rest of the garden? Contrast with shiny silver pots or follow through the moodiness with anthracite or black containers.
One of the things we can play around with in our gardens is making it feel larger or smaller. Using some of these 13 black flowers at the lower end helps to visually increase the length of a flower border. This will work with both sunny and shady borders.
and now Back to Black
Some of these flowers you’ll know but I’m thinking some may be new to you. There’s a good mix of annuals, bulbs, herbaceous perennials and a shrub. Many of these black flowers will grow in pots as well as in the border and between them, will give drama to your garden from March through to October.
Alcea rosea ‘Nigra’ , black Hollyhock
A short lived perennial, 2.5m tall (when mature). The flowers are deep purple, almost black, on tall flower spikes and definitely give a dramatic lift through summer and autumn. Although they have height, hollyhocks are not wide, so are easy to fit into a border. They’re pretty tolerant of morning or afternoon sun, and partial shade. Good for modern and cottage style planting schemes, wildlife gardens.
Aquilegia vulgaris var stellata ‘Black Barlow’
A double flowered Columbine without the usual spurs. The purple-black petals of Aquilegia ‘Black Barlow’ go particularly well with the frothy lime green flowers of Alchemilla mollis in a spring cottage garden style border. A hardy herbaceous perennial which makes a good cut flower.
Dahlia ‘Veronnes Obsidian’
Would you think this was a dahlia if you didn’t know? It’s an absolute stunner! The star shape comes from the dark, silky petals rolling in on themselves. Which of course highlights the centre and has bees flocking to it as a result.
Not only does this tuberous perennial look amazing in any style of planting, but it is a showstopper in a floral arrangement too. Oh yes, and like any dahlia, the petals are edible. To be on the safe side, dig up the tubers in autumn, dry them out and plant again the following spring.
Hellebore x hybridus double black
This really is a black flower! Hellebores have a good selection of single and double flowered hybrids and species from which you can choose your black flowered plant. Flowering in winter and early spring, these hardy herbaceous perennials are an excellent food source for pollinators. And we can enjoy them in the border with snowdrops for a monochrome scheme. Or with yellow Eranthis hyemalis, the winter aconite. Or indeed, backed by the dark purple-black stemmed Cornus alba ‘Kesselringii’ – imagine that combination with a light dusting of snow!
Iris ‘Old Black Magic’
A bearded iris that flowers in April and May with almost black flowers. As with Hellebores, Iris are another plant species where there’s a wide selection of named cultivars to choose from. This particular one is not only elegant but also fragrant. Iris ‘Old Black Magic’ is a rhizomatous perennial that often reblooms, unlike many Iris.
Lathyrus odoratus ‘Almost Black’ sweet pea
This is a modern Grandiflora type of sweet pea, with large, deep purple, scented flowers. The long stems make it an excellent annual for your cut flower border. Grow it up hazel wigwams for a rustic look or on a stainless steel obelisk for a contemporary twist.
Papaver somniferum ‘Black Beauty’ annual poppy
A double flowered annual opium poppy with luxurious peony like flowers. (So it won’t surprise you to know it’s one of the Paeoniiflorum group of opium poppies). As it can easily grow to 1.2 metres, best to avoid growing them on windy sites – or stake them, as those flowers are big. And I know it doesn’t look very dark in this photo, but that’s to do with the way the light has caught the petals. Which is worth remembering as it applies to all these black flowers.
Petunia ‘Black Velvet’
One of the bushier types of Petunia, those velvet flowers really can look black. It is a tender perennial, but we generally treat it as an annual bedding plant in the UK. It would look very chic grown in a stainless steel planter on a dark slate or black limestone patio.
Rosa ‘Black Baccarat’
Our only shrub, this deep maroon rose is tolerant of most soils and any aspect other than north facing. It will tolerate partial shade but does then need some direct sunlight to flower well. A repeat flowering hybrid tea, this fragrant shrub rose will flower through summer and autumn. It makes a good cut flower and of course pollinators love it.
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black And Blue’
Not strictly speaking a black flower, as its the calyces at the base of the purple-blue flowers which are black. But it’s still a head turner, flowering from mid-summer through autumn. An herbaceous perennial rather than a shrub, it needs a warm sheltered spot as its not fully hardy in the UK. The foliage has a slight aniseed scent.
Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Chile black’
A repeat flowering herbaceous perennial with pincushion flowers from June through to autumn. Attractive to bees and butterflies, it’s perfect for wildlife gardens. And it looks good in both cottage gardens and modern styled borders. ‘Chile black’ is happy in either sun or partial shade, but likes a free draining, not wet soil overwinter. Good in pots too.
Tulip ‘Black Parrot’
Not the only black, or nearly black flowered tulip, but I do love the feathery fringed petals that are a parrot tulip’s characteristic. Personally, I think it adds a touch of glamour to your potted bulb display. (Or even an exotic bird look?) If that’s not your thing, try Tulip ‘Black Satin’ for a more traditional shape yet retaining the wow factor. Both make excellent cut flowers and grow in pots or borders. Stand a dark coloured pot filled with these tulips either side of your front door for a classy statement, whatever your garden style or house colour.
Viola ‘Black Magic’
A perennial pansy, Viola cornuta ‘Black Magic’ may be sold as spring flowering, or sometimes as winter flowering, bedding. Lightly fragrant, they’d make an interesting edging to borders against a path where you could enjoy the scent. They’re best planted to enjoy the morning sun or partial shade. Good for woodland edge gardens and wildlife gardens, as well as cottage garden planting and pots.
And finally
There are further planting ideas below, whether that’s for white flowers to contrast with your 13 black flowers, or turquoise ones to add a bit of a zing. If you’d like help creating a themed planting design for your garden, or have queries regarding your existing garden, do get in touch to ask about our design and consultancy services.
But if you’d prefer hands-on personal help from yours truly, with a mix of practical sessions and theory ask about our bespoke Gardening Lessons and Courses where your classroom is actually your own garden. Click the link for the pdf download for more info. In these lessons I can help you learn gardening basics, and also show you how to plan an ornamental border or kitchen garden.
For further gardening advice and inspiration, ideas for kitchen gardens, herb gardens, pest resistant gardens and more, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below. You could also come and find us on Instagram Pinterest Facebook YouTube
Feeling nosey? You can have a peek at the progress of my garden renovation, Spitfires and Slow Worms, on Instagram and Facebook Find & follow to discover when the garden open day is.
You’ll also get to see it in person if you come to the Plews Gardening Workshops
Plus get your local garden club, allotment, WI, U3A or other group to ask me along to give a talk (and bring plants 😉)
Oh and there are links to free pdf downloads of planting lists below too!
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