Among the most uncommon types of flowers available for purchase in your garden are white blooms. Flowers that seem to be totally black are often not truly black; instead, they have such rich hues of blues, browns, purples, or reds that they appear to be black. Against other brightly-colored flowers, the nearly jet-black blossoms can look stunning. Cutting flower arrangements can be enhanced with pitch-black flowers.
Most black bouquet cultivars are variations of well-known flower species. Several popular dark or nearly black flowers, such as black pansies, tulips, lilies, dahlias, and roses, have truly black petals that are uncommon to see. Flowers with fascinating black and white blooms include nemophila. Petunias, for example, feature black petals with contrasting yellow petals to produce a really dazzling look.
Because pure black flowers are so uncommon, they have become associated with mystery, elegance, and sadness. If a buddy is departing, a black blossom may signify sadness. Alternatively, a single black blossom, such as a rose or tulip, might symbolize a hidden romantic interest with a generous present.
Most flowering plants have the same instructions for growing black flowers. They need to be in the garden’s brightest areas, either full sun or partial shade, for the majority of the day. Plants with black flowers, like most flowering annuals or perennials, need well-drained soil in most cases.
You’ll learn about the most interesting black blooms to add mystery to your garden or floral displays in this article.
Are There True Black Flowers in Nature?
Flowers that are genuinely black or totally black cannot be found in nature. Plants and flowers don’t have black pigments that are used to color them. Careful breeding and cultivation are usually responsible for the appearance of dark blooms that look black or very dark.
Dark/black blooms are caused by increasing the concentration of naturally occurring chemicals called anthocyanins, according to scientific study. Red, purple, or blue pigments are possible. Flower breeders may thus grow flowers that seem black by selecting flower species with high concentrations of anthocyanins through careful selection.
9 distinct anthocyanins are found in the widespread black flower Alcea rosea ‘Nigra,’ for example, according to researchers.
Types of Black Flowers (With Pictures and Common Name)
There are several stunning instances of flowers with black or dark purple blooms, despite the fact that no genuine black flowers exist in nature. The most popular black flowers are shown below.
‘Black Beauty’ Pansy
Pansies are some of the most lovely blooms you can cultivate, and there are a variety of interesting black cultivars available. The black pansy cultivars, such as the ‘Black Beauty’ and the ‘Black Magic,’ are the darkest of the bunch.
Papery black petals contrast beautifully against light backgrounds or are planted with yellow or white pansies in these annual spring-flowering plants.
The petals of the ‘Black Beauty’ pansy are extremely black, with a lovely sheen. The brilliant yellow center in the middle of the blossom adds to their allure.
A spring annual with black petals, the ‘Black Magic’ pansies are an excellent example. Towards the center of the magnificent black blooms, there is a gorgeous yellow middle with light sky-blue/purple coloring.
‘Black Cat’ Petunia – Black Petunia Flower
Deep purple or black petals are found in a few varieties of petunia flowers. Petunias are part of the Solanaceae family and create a bushy growth of gorgeous blooms that lasts from early spring to late autumn. Purple to cherry red, yellow, and lilac are just a few of the colors available in petunias.
Velvety black petals contrast sharply against the light green foliage of the cultivar ‘Black Cat,’ which is a petunia flower.
Petunias with extremely dark purple petals are known as the ‘Black Velvet’ variety. Some of the purple colors, particularly in the centre of the trumpet-shaped bloom, are so intense that they appear jet-black.
‘Queen of the Night’ Tulip
Tulips (Tulipa genus) are the classic spring flowers that belong to the Liliaceae flower family. Tulips have come to represent love, forgiveness, and cheery ideas. They are regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful flowers. The cultivar known as the “Queen of the Night” is the most popular sort of black tulip flower.
The huge deep purple (almost black) cup-shaped blooms of the Queen of the Night tulip are a late-blooming tulip cultivar with a long stalk. The Queen of the Night is one of the nearest black tulips to find, despite the fact that it is not a totally black flower. You can expect a spectacular display of black flowers amid gorgeous green foliage when the tulips bloom in April and May.
Black Bearded Iris Flowers
Dark purple to black flowers are seen in a variety of bearded iris cultivars. The effect in your garden may be truly spectacular when planted among pastel-shaded irises. Some of the most beautiful perennials are bearded irises, which are simple to grow and produce a nice fragrance.
Here are a few black iris varieties with extremely dark flowers, as well as a few more.
Iris is the heroine of the novel, “Before the Storm.” One of the blackest iris blooms you can buy is the black iris ‘Before the Storm.’ The flower’s ruffled petals, which stand on stems that are 31 inches (92 cm) long, appear to be black. The heavenly fragrance the black flowers give off is one of the fascinating characteristics of irises in ‘Before the Storm.
Iris, ‘Men in Black’ The dark purple irises of ‘Men in Black’ irises appear to be genuine black flowers depending on the light. A mustard-yellow beard in the center of the blossoms adds to the eye-catching dark flowers.
Bearded Iris with the name “Old Black Magic.” The sweet scents and sword-shaped green leaves of this perennial black iris make it a gorgeous spring bloom. In purple and black flower bouquets, these lovely dark plum-colored blooms may lend a sense of mystery.
Black Dahlia Flowers
True black dahlias are dark red or burgundy blooms with an almost black appearance. Black dahlias are not real black flowers.
Dahlias are recognized for their spectacular display of huge blossoms in a variety of formations and forms. Dahlias are connected to asterisks, chrysanthemums, and daisies because they belong to the family Asteraceae. Dahlias bloom throughout the summer and into late autumn, and they are perennial flowers.
Black dahlias are divided into two categories: standard and unusual.
The big double dark blooms of the Arabian Night dahlia (Dahlia arabica) may reach 4 inches (10 cm) broad. The curving petals near the center of these lovely flowers have a dark red and black coloration. Gorgeous centerpiecepieces in any floral display are these dark red blooms, which appear almost black.
Dahlias with black foliage
You can also cultivate dahlias with black leaves to add an air of mystery to your garden. Dark foliage provides a lovely contrast to red and pink dahlia blooms, as well as orange, yellow, and white varieties. These unusual and distinctive plants have dark foliage.
‘Bishop of Auckland,’ ‘David Howard,’ Fascination, and ‘Happy Single Party’ are some of the Dahlia cultivars with black foliage.
‘Odessa’ and ‘Black Forest’ Calla Lily (Zantedeschia)
Certain calla lilies (Zantedeschia) have trumpet-shaped blooms that make a powerful statement. Calla lilies with almost-black purple flowers are known as the Zantedeschia ‘Odessa’. Green leaves shaped like arrowheads are planted among the beautiful dark blooms. This cultivar of the black calla lily has white speckles on its leaves.
The ‘Black Forest’ is another lookalike calla lily hybrid with funnel-shaped blooms that are almost black due to their deep purple hues.
Border plants or container plants are ideal for calla lilies. For an spectacular black and white floral show in your garden, combine these dark types with white calla lilies.
‘Green Wizard’ Coneflower
The Western Coneflower, Rudbeckia occidentalis, is a black-flowered blooming plant that has been given the botanical name. These coneflowers have large flower heads with unusual acorn-shaped flowers that are purple-brown in color. This purple blossom seems to be completely black against the green foliage.
Some Wester Coneflowers, such as the Green Wizard and the Black Beauty, have tiny yellow pollen spots around the base.
The pollen spots around the base of certain Wester Coneflowers, such as the ‘Green Wizard’ and the ‘Black Beauty,’ are tiny.
Yellow ‘Black-Eyed Susans’ and purple blooms of Echinacea plants are two more well-known types of coneflowers.
Bat Orchid
One of the most unusual plants you’ll find is the black bat blossom, so it should be on the list. Tacca chantrieri, a tropical bloom that grows up to 12 inches (30 cm) across, is a bat orchid native to Southeast Asia.
The way the black bat orchid looks in flight gives it its name. The long drooping whiskers, which may grow up to 28 inches (71 cm) long, provide an unusual appearance to the real black blooms. The flowers of this fascinating blooming plant are practically naturally black, requiring no extra care.
‘Black Charm’ Asiatic Lily
Pink, white, red, and black are among the colors available in lilies. The genus Lilium and family Liliaceae include thousands of species of true lilies. Tall stature, gorgeous trumpet-shaped blooms, and powerful scents are all characteristics of lily hybrids.
The hybrid ‘Black Charm’ Asiatic is one of the most dramatic-looking lilies. The dark burgundy petals of this fragrant lily are extremely vivid and almost pure black in color. The center of the trumpet head includes even black-looking stamens and filaments. When combined with white, yellow, or pastel hues of flowers, black-red blooms may produce a stunning floral bouquet.
Another lily hybrid with dark red-black coloring on its leaves is the ‘Black Spider.’ The centers of creamy-white petals create an spectacular summer floral display, with dark burgundy, almost black colors.
‘New York Night’ Hellebore – Black Flower With Creamy Yellow Center
Hellebore, a genus of plant in the Ranunculaceae family, is also known as Lenten rose. Helleborus orientalis is a spring blooming species of flowering plant. There are some cultivars with magical black flowers, in addition to the most common colors of hellebores: pink, white, or lilac.
The hellebore ‘New York Night,’ with its jet-black petals and creamy yellow center, is a stunning bloom. These large purple flowers are composed of five petals that are up to 3 inches (7.6 cm) wide.
‘Blacknight’ Hollyhock (Alcea Rosea)
In spring and summer, Hollyhocks (Alcea Rosea) produce a profusion of flowers. They are a bushy kind of perennial or annual plant. Dark black-like funnel-shaped blooms with richly colored centers characterize the dark black varieties.
The 2 outstanding black cultivars in the genus Alcea are ‘Blacknight’ and ‘Nigra.’
Large deep purple-black blooms 4″ (10 cm) across decorate the common black hollyhock ‘Blacknight.’ The best location for growing these dark plants is along a wall, where they can get plenty of sunlight.
‘Black Baccara’ Rose
Roses come in a variety of hues, including romantic red roses, white roses, yellow roses, and every hue in between. They are considered as one of the most popular flowers in the world. The hybrid tea rose known as the ‘Black Baccara’ is perfect for making a powerful statement with a kind of black rose flower.
The rose flower form of the Black Baccara is velvety deep red with black petals. The ‘Black Baccara’ rose is one of the darkest varieties you can find, despite not being a true black flower. Any floral arrangement can benefit from the long-lasting blooms, which may add drama or mystery.
‘Black Widow’ Cranesbill Geranium
This dark purple-black little bloom is a member of the Geranium family Geraniaceae and is also known as the Mourning Widow (Geranium phaeum). At the top of thin hairy stems, papery dark violet-colored petals bloom. The backward-turning wrinkly petals of these ‘black’ flowers reveal protruding stamens, which is an unusual feature.
Black Hyacinths
A unique kind of black-flowering plant with clusters of fragrant blooms, black hyacinths are a uncommon sight. On the top of short stems, little jet-black trumpet blooms bloom in a tubular form.
The black hyacinth ‘Midnight Mystic,’ for example, is a stunning and award-winning cultivar. It blooms coal-black in clusters or along borders. Plant these bulbous blossoms beside contrasting pink, white, and pastel flower colors for a striking floral display.
Another fascinating hyacinth species is the uncommon ‘Dark Dimension,’ which has dark blue/purple blooms that are practically black.
‘Chocolate’ Cosmos
The ‘Chocolate’ cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus) is another type of dark red flower with black elements in it.
The petals of this perennial dark blooming plant are maroon or brown, similar to dark chocolate. This species comes in a variety of colors, with some varieties of blooms looking more black than crimson red.
Plant alongside ornamental grasses and other meadow flowers to enhance the appearance of these little black-red flowers.
‘Penny Black’ Nemophila – Black and White Flower
Nemophila ‘Penny Black’ is a terrific choice if you’re looking for a flashy display of black and white flowers. When contrasted to the white edging and brilliant white centers of these lovely blossoms, dark purple blooms seem to shine black. From June until the end of summer, these lovely low-growing annuals bloom. They’re ideal for borders, window boxes, containers, and patios because of their spreading nature and low height.