Black Cat Flowers

Black cat flowers is a celebration of both glorious black flowers for your garden and the darkest of dark domestic felines. However, it is not a random choice of theme, as it is inspired by Black Cat Day which takes place on October 27th.

I was also motivated by my liking for dark flowers and dark foliage plants. Many are wonderful as stand alone specimens. But, for example, using the contrast of black flowers against lime green leaves makes for a mouth watering planting combination.

And, of course, I was inspired to look for flowers named after black cats by my own love of these dark furred felines, especially those who have shared their lives with me over the years.

Black Cat Flowers

Are you expecting many or only one named flower? Its a curious thing that plants seem to be named for all sorts of random people and places and animals. Then, when one comes to start looking for something in particular for an article it seems to have vanished in to the ether… (And, yes, I do a lot of research for these blogs and the articles I write for others)

Petunia ‘Black Cat’

An early flowering bush petunia (as distinct from trailing) it will get your black cat flowers and planting scheme of to a bold start. Regular deadheading will keep the black cat flowers blooming. If the plant does become straggly, then cut at least some of the stems back by half to encourage anew, bushy growth and flowers. As a summer bedding plant the Petunia will give you blooms for a few months.

Black Cat Scabious

More precisely, Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Black Cat’, or pincushion flower as scabious are commonly known as. I admit to being fond of rich colours, and black cat is a glorious scabious, with deep crimson-heading-towards-black flowers. They have the added bonus of a light fragrance. This scabious will work well in both mixed ‘traditional style’ herbaceous borders and in prairie planting schemes.
Possibly one of the better of our choices in the wildlife friendly stakes, as the nectar rich flowers attract, bees, butterflies, moths and hoverflies. Not only that but the attractive seed heads provide food for birds too!

Dahlia ‘Black Cat’

The black cat dahlia, or dahlia chat noir as it is also known, is a semi-cactus type, with dark purple-black petals and mid to dark green foliage. It will give a rich look to the late summer and autumn border, contrasting beautifully with bronze rudbeckia. As a dahlia, it is a tuberous perennial which, depending on your soil type and garden location may or may not last over winter in the ground. For how to care for dahlias, see here.
Both dahlia chat noir and scabious black cat are suitable as cut flowers as well as in mixed planting designs.

Hemerocallis ‘Black Cat’

Hemerocallis are known as daylilies as each bloom is short lived – sometimes only a day when fully opened. However, each stem has multiple flowers which bloom in turn, so you do get a fair few to enjoy. As for flower colour, this Hemerocallis is the least black of our black cat flowers. Although the outer petal is heading towards a dark black-red, the centre is yellow.
However there is also a Hemerocallis ‘Westbourne Black Cat Eyes’ which has a rather stunning green throat and dark burgundy purple petals.

Black Cat Flower

This last one of our black cat flowers actually has whiskers! Tacca chantrieri is commonly known as the Black Cat Flower, black bat flower, cat’s whiskers flower and devil flower. Personally, whilst I can appreciate the wings can give it a bat like look, the whiskers really make it a cat flower.

Tacca chantrieri is a tuberous perennial native to the tropical regions of Southeast Asia and is one of the few naturally black flowers in the world. The blooms are up to 12 inches across. You may be able to grow this one outside in the summer months, giving it frost free protection or treat it as a house plant over winter.

Ideas for incorporating the black cat flowers into a planting design

Some of the flowers would work as container grown plants – useful if you’re short on space, or want to have the flowers without changing your current planting scheme. For example, the Petunia, Dahlia and Tacca would all be happy in pots.

The Scabious would look rather dramatic planted with ornamental grasses such as Miscanthus sinensis zebrinus. It would work in even quite a small space so long as the grasses can catch a breeze and sway a little.

As for the Hemerocallis, why not surround it with Heuchera key lime pie or lime marmalade at its feet? That would be a zingy combination whilst the flowers were blooming and the Heuchera would give you colourful ground cover all year.

If you would like help with creating a planting design with black cat flowers do please get in touch with Plews.

And finally

A quick promotion for Black Cat Day October 27th, 2020, which is organised by Cats Protection, one of the leading cat charities in the UK. They instigated National Black Cat Day in 2011, concerned that statistically black cats took on average, a week longer to be re-homed than cats of other colours. Black and white cats likewise took longer to be rehomed, so they’re included in Black Cat Day.

My own black cats – indeed all my cats – have always helped me with gardening. And I’ve made sure that there are places in the garden for them to hide, to sleep and to play in safety.

Considering clients’ cats (as well other pets, children, wheelchair access and so on) has always been a part of my initial design conversations. Over the years this has led to my designing cat friendly gardens that suit their human owners too. If you’re interested for your own garden, check the links below and then do get in touch. We currently offer design meetings by zoom and have extended our design at a distance service to take account of ever-changing Covid restrictions and issues.