12 Black Perennials

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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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'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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'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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'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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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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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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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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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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'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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'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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'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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'Black' Sempervivum

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

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