Dramatic Dark Colored Flowers, Stems & Foliage

by Three Dogs in a Garden

Bold colors from eggplant to burgundy to black are the opposite of whisy-washy. They're add an extra level of sophistication to any garden.

Bearded Iris

Private Garden

I've noticed that many experienced gardeners use strong colors in their plantings. The repetition of boldly colored foliage is just one trick they use to breakup a scene that would otherwise be dominantly green.

Private Garden

the lure of the darkside, container gardening, flowers, gardening

Rich colors make bright colors pop in contrast.

Heuchera in the foreground

Deep colors can be found in foliage, stems and flowers. Here are just a few

examples in each category:

Wood Spurge 'Purpurea', Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea': has greyish-purple-green foliage with chartreuse flower clusters in spring. It likes 3-6 hours of morning or afternoon sun. Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea' will grow a variety of soil types and can take everything from moist to dry conditions. Height: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches), Spread: 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). USDA Zones: 5-9.

Combing dark stems and foliage is Penstemon 'Dark Towers': Height: 60-90 cm, Spread: 45-60 cm. Full sun. Normal, sandy or clay soil are fine. Average to dry conditions. Zones: USDA 3-9

Cimicifuga ramosa 'James Compton': has deep purplish black ferny foliage and fragrant bottlebrush-shaped white flowers in late summer. It likes rich, moist soil and part to full shade. Height: 120-150 cm (47-60 inches), Spread: 60-75 cm (23-29 inches). USDA Zones: 4-8.

As to annuals, how about some black Petunias?

Petunias

For late summer consider any number of the Sedums with deep reddish-green foliage. Here are just a few of the possibilities: Autumn Stonecrop Sedum 'Chocolate Drop', Sedum 'Purple Emperor' and Sedum 'Xenox'.

Columbine

To wrap-up this post, I offer you several types of flowers that have dark flowers.

Columbine: The Columbine, Aquilegia Ancolie (shown above) has eggplant colored flowers. Cultivar Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' has is a double, plum-purple flowers.

Bearded Irises come in a wide range of colors including purples, plums, inky-blues and black.

Hellebores can also be found in shades of wine-red, plum, burgundy and black.

Geranium phaeum 'Samobor' and Geranium phaeum 'Mourning Widow' (above) both have deep plum-wine colored flowers.

Hollyhocks (seen at the bottom of the post) are a biennial whose flowers come in a range of colors including black and burgundy.

Have your say:

Are they black flowers dramatic or just not your thing?

Do you know of some plants you'd like to recommend with dark flowers, stems or foliage?

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3 comments

Hannah V on Feb 25, 2015
I'm all about the dramatic, dark flowers and plants! I think they're gorgeous.

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Douglas Hunt on Feb 26, 2015
For southern gardeners wishing to add dark accents to their garden, Eucomis cultivars like "Sparkling Burgundy" and "Dark Star" are a good bet. (Generally zones 6-7 to 9-10).

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- Three Dogs in a Garden on Feb 26, 2015
  @Douglas Hunt Thanks for the suggestions!
  
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