12 Black Perennials

  • 1.

    If you are looking to fill your garden with near-black or darkly colored plants, here is a list of 12 perennials to help get you started.

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    'Black Scallop' Ajuga reptans

    (Bugleweed) Attractive smaller-scale groundcover with glossy, near-black, scalloped leaves. Shocking violet-blue flowers appear on short spikes in spring. Stays compact without growth regulators.

    Full Sun to Full Shade | Zones: 4-10 | Blooms Mid to Late Spring

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  • 3.

    'Blacknight' Alcea rosea

    (Hollyhock) This series of stable, straight color, single flowered hollyhocks is the result of nearly 20 years of development. 'Blacknight' has deep black-purple flowers. These plants are truly perennial, not biennial.

    Full Sun | Zones: 3-9 | Blooms in Midsummer

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  • 4.

    'Blackhawks' Andropogon gerardii

    (Big Bluestem) Big Bluestem come into prime earlier than other ornamental grasses. This variety emerges deep green to dark purple and deepens to near black by fall. A foot shorter than ‘Indian Warrior'.

    Full Sun | Zones: 3-9 | Blooms in Late Summer

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  • 5.

    'Chocoholic' Cimicifuga

    (Black Snakeroot) Deep bronze-purple, dissected leaves form a dense, upright clump. Greener in full shade. Fragrant, bottlebrush flowers open mauve-pink, then lighten to white. Distinctive specimen for partial shade.

    Part Sun to Full Shade | Zones: 4-8 | Blooms Late Summer to Early Fall

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  • 6.

    HONEYMOON® 'New York Night' Helleborus

    (Lenten Rose) 2½-3”, single flowers with shades of black that include deep grey, jet black, and black-purple.

    Full Sun to Full Shade | Zones: 4-9 | Blooms from Early to Mid Spring

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  • 7.

    PRIMO® 'Black Pearl' Heuchera

    (Coral Bells) Forms a dense habit of shiny, jet black leaves with scalloped, ruffled edges and rosy-purple undersides. Keeps its intense black color even in full sun. White flowers are held in pink calyxes.

    Full Sun to Full Shade | Zones: 4-9 | Blooms in Midsummer

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  • 8.

    SUMMERIFIC® 'Holy Grail' Hibiscus

    (Rose Mallow) Incredibly dark, near-black leaves are oval shaped and pack the habit for a very full appearance. 8-9” rich, deep red flowers. The red and black colors perfectly complement each other. Bright green calyxes starkly contrast the dark foliage.

    Full to Part Sun | Zones: 4-9 | Blooms from Midsummer to Early Fall

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  • 9.

    BARISTA® 'Dark Roast' Lagerstroemia

    (Crapemyrtle) Notably dark foliage; one of the darkest leaved Lagerstroemia we offer. Leaves have red undertones, especially near the tips of the stems. In late summer to early fall, bright fuchsia-pink flowers are produced over the fully rounded, compact habit.

    Full Sun | Zones: 6-9 | Blooms Late Summer to Early Fall

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  • 10.

    'Niger' Ophiopogon planiscapus

    (Black Mondo Grass) Grass-like plant forms a compact, dense clump of nearly jet black foliage. Looks much like a black Liriope. Short spikes of light purple to white flowers are followed by purplish-black berries in fall.

    Full Sun to Part Shade | Zones: 5-9 | Blooms in Early to Midsummer

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  • 11.

    'Onyx and Pearls' Penstemon

    (Beardtongue) A combination of dark foliage and soft lavender flowers with white interiors. From a distance, the flowers look completely white. Compared to ‘Blackbeard', this is a taller, fuller plant with lighter colored flowers.

    Full Sun | Zones: 3-8 | Blooms Early to Midsummer

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  • 12.

    'Night Embers' Sedum

    (Autumn Stonecrop) Forms a strictly upright habit of dark black-purple, semi-glossy succulent leaves. Small clusters of light mauve-pink flowers are produced on deep red stems. The narrow base and a vase-like habit combine well with shorter companions in a limited space.

    Full Sun | Zones: 3-9 | Blooms Late Summer to Early Fall

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  • 13.

    'Black' Sempervivum

    (Hen & Chicks) This hardy succulent has green centers with dark, black-red tips.

    Full Sun | Zones: 3-8 | Blooms in Midsummer

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Varieties Mentioned in this Article