Black Foliage/Stems or Marked with Black

A dwarf, densely branching upright selection of the evergreen Japanese Cedar with dark blackish-green mature foliage and soft green new growth. An excellent specimen plant and backdrop for lighter flowers and foliage. Item # 9111.

The dark purple to deep burgundy foliage nearly black foliage of this sturdy perennial is topped by spikes of sweetly contrasting purple to lilac flowers in mid to late spring. Flowers attract native bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Blackbeard Penstemon or Beardtongue is hybrid selection of our native species (Penstemon species are found native only in North America) whose intensely colored foliage is sure to provide wonderful contrast with surrounding perennials in the garden and landscape or use it as a specimen in containers. Provide a full to mostly sunny location for the darkest foliage coloration and a well-drained, average moist soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Blackbeard Penstemon was selected not only for its foliage color but also for its compact habit and flower power. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 11904

One of the hottest new native grasses on the market! Blackhawks Big Bluestem starts off in spring as a deep green clump of upright to arching blades that may be tipped with red to purple. It is in late summer when the real show begins with the upright and arching foliage and flowering stems of August deepen to red to red-purple and further deepening and intensifying as the cooler fall weather arrives becoming nearly all black as its sturdy and showy flowering stems begin to mature. Blackhawks Big Bluestem is a slightly more compact plant reaching about 4-5' high when in flower. The species is native throughout much of the eastern 2/3's of the US and is a clumping to slowly spreading rhizomatous grass whose seeds are utilized by a number of seed eating birds. Provide a full to mostly sunny site with an average to well-drained, acidic soil for the deepest foliage colors and optimum vigor. Plants are in their best form when grown in a low fertility soil. Overly fertile soils can cause them to topple at maturity. Images courtesy of Brent Horvath, Intrinsic Perennials, all rights reserved. Item# 12169

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The dark purplish-bronze, finely textured, licorice scented foliage makes a beautiful addition to the perennial border or the butterfly garden. Mix Bronze Fennel with yellow and chartreuse foliaged and flowering plants for a great combination. The foliage and stems are utilized by the Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly as a caterpillar host plant. For optimum health and vigor plant Bronze Fennel in a full to mostly sunny site, in a well-drained, fertile soil. It can be grown as a reliable perennial in gardens and landscapes as well as in containers, either as a specimen plant or in mixed company. Item# 9121

A dwarf Loropetalum! The deep burgundy, purple, to near black foliage is accented by frilly bright cerise pink flowers in spring flowering a few weeks later than most Loropetalums and are so the flowers are less likely to get burned by a late freeze or frost. Cerise Charm™ Loropetalum, a.k.a Chinese Witch Hazel, is a new dwarf and compact selection that naturally develops into a dense rounded mound of dark foliage making this a great low-maintenance choice for small hedges, as accent plants, and even as a container specimens. Chinese Witch Hazel has few pests or disease problems when grown in an average to well-drained, acidic to neutral soil with average fertility in a full sun to partly shaded site. Images courtesy of Star Roses and Plants®, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12747

Won numerous trial awards across the US in 2020! The large tropical looking, cupped, dark olive green glossy foliage shows off the near black to deep burgundy veining on the leaf undersides as well as the contrasting dark black to deep burgundy stems. Coffee Cups Elephant Ear is a naturally evergreen, rhizomatous tropical that acts like a die-back perennial in zones 8-9 returning from the roots and crown in spring. This cultivar does produce runners in late summer to fall which can be removed to prevent spreading it can also be enjoyed as a container plant. Be sure to dispose of any plant parts responsibly to ensure that it does not escape. Elephant Ears grow best in a moist to wet, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny site. Item# 10342

A CSU Trial Gardens 2020 Top Performer! The dark burgundy to near black, glossy foliage is to die for but wait it gets better as in late spring or early summer, tall sturdy spikes ascend above the dark foliage and are composed of lavender to purple, 1" long, nectar rich, tubular flowers that eventually develop into decorative dark purple round seed pods. DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon, a flower child of Penstemon digitalis, is more compact than and has darker foliage than Dark Towers and Mystica Penstemons and it has more purple colored flowers and improved reliability easily surviving for 3 years in CSU's trials. Provide this easy to grow perennial, a nativar (a cultivar from native species), with a moist to average moist, well-drained, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny location for optimum vigor, flowering, and for the deepest foliage colors. Pair DAKOTA™ Burgundy Penstemon with chartreuse foliaged plants for a wonderful contrast. The flowers attract a variety of polliinators including hummingbirds, bees, and occasional larger butterflies. Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12856

The near black to dark burgundy, large, sagittate to near heart-shaped tropical foliage adorns the black to deep burgundy stems of this reverted form of the Pink Princess Philodendron. The Duchess of Burgundy Philodendron, Philodendron erubescens, is the non-variegated form of this species. It is a slow growing mounding to vine-like Philodendron and can be trained to a wooden support where its sturdy adventitious roots will attach to it. Provide an average moist, fertile, high quality, well-draining potting soil in high light for optimum vigor and color. During the warmer months of the year, when night time temperatures remain above about 60-65^oF, the Princess of Burgundy Philodendron can be enjoyed on a brightly lit porch or patio. Item# 11700

Exceptionally dark purple to black shamrock-like foliage creates the perfect foil for the white to light pink trumpet shaped flowers that are produced during much of the the growing season. Ebony Allure™ Purple False Shamrock, a selection of Oxalis triangularis subsp. papilionaceae, is the latest, darkest foliaged cultivar of this popular container and garden plant which can be enjoyed indoors or out. This is a clump-forming bulbous and non-aggressive Oxalis that slowly multiplies into larger and larger clumps. Ebony Allure™ Purple Oxalis will perform best in a well-draining, average moist, fertile soil under lightly shaded conditions. Easy and rewarding! Images courtesy of AG3, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12456

The fountaining clumps of large, dark burgundy to near black, 1"+ wide, sword shaped foliage makes an outstanding accent or backdrop for smaller growing perennials in the summer and fall garden and landscape. First Knight™ Hybrid Purple Fountain Grass, a trispecific seed sterile hybrid Pennisetum, was developed and selected for its exceptionally dark foliage color, vigor, disease resistance, and zone 8 cold hardiness. In areas with mild winters, the plants produce tall fuzzy spikes in late summer and fall adding to its interest. We have a similar selection growing at the back of one of our beds and have always been impressed with the statement it makes each year. We have even been known to utilize the foliage and occasional seed heads in cut flower arrangements. This is a vigorous and easy growing, low maintenance addition to the garden and landscape and it is vigorous enough to be used as an annual outside of its hardiness zones. Provide a full to mostly sunny site in a fertile, average moist, soil with average or better drainage. Item# 12853

Won numerous Top Performer trial awards across the US in 2020 as an annual! The large tropical looking new foliage emerges a deep bluish green maturing to rich deep green with a matte finish and are held atop deep purple to near black stems. Heart of the Jungle® Elephant Ear or Colocasia is a naturally evergreen, rhizomatous tropical that acts like a die-back perennial in zones 8-9 returning from the roots and crown in spring. This cultivar does produce runners in late summer to fall which can be removed to prevent spreading it can also be enjoyed as a container plant. Be sure to dispose of any plant parts responsibly to ensure that it does not escape. Elephant Ears grow best in a moist to wet, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny site. Photos courtesy of Proven Winners©, www.provenwinners.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12883

Spring and summer offer up a mound of dark purplish-black foliage that covers up in late summer and fall with contrasting white daisies with a purplish-red eye. The flowers of Lady in Black Calico or Woodland Aster attract a myriad of pollinators like bees, smaller butterflies, and other garden beneficials at a time when many are stock piling for winter. This is an easy and reliable clump forming native perennial selected for its deep dark foliage. Lady in Black Woodland Aster is tolerant of light shade but will have the darkest foliage where it receives the most direct sunlight. May reseed on exposed soils. Caterpillar host plant for the Pearl Crescent butterfly. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 12114

Large 8-9" wide glowing deep red flowers are held against the dark burgundy maple-like foliage of this hardy Hibiscus. Midnight Marvel Perennial Hibiscus is a show stopper that absolutely pops in the summer and early fall landscape! Another excellent Walter's Gardens introduction, this hardy Hibiscus is sure to make a statement whether in the garden and landscape or all on its own. Like some of the other Walter's Gardens Hibiscus introduction, Midnight Marvel flowers all the way from the top to the bottom of these naturally rounded plants. Provide full to mostly sun and a moderately rich moist soil. Item# 11420

The large minty green elephant-ear shaped foliage is flecked, spotted, streaked and randomly splashed with dark purple to black creating a very cool tropical eye-catching effect. The Mojito Elephant Ear is a rhizomatous tropical perennial in zones 8-10 but is vigorous enough to enjoy as a summer annual in northerly climates. Elephant Ears can be grown in moist to wet fertile soils and can be lightly submerged in water gardens as well as in medium to large containers. Colocasias can be invasive in warm southern climates please plant and dispose of plant parts responsibly. Provide a deep mulch where winters experience hard freezes to promote larger foliage the following season. This variety is  colocasias.  Item# 12177

You can see why they named this series NIMBUS™! Dense cloud-like masses composed of hundreds of frilly lavender-pink flowers are held atop sturdy dark colored stems and the fine-textured Columbine-like bluish-green foliage beginning in mid-spring and continuing into summer. NIMBUS™ Pink Thalictrum is a clump-forming perennial that was selected for its more compact habit than the species as well as for its denser showier flower clusters. *They are tolerant of full sun in areas with cool summers but may do best with midday and afternoon shade or filtered shade in hot summer climates. We actually grow them under deciduous shade to good effect here in 8B. Meadow-Rue generally prefers a moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Flowering may be limited the first season but will increase with each year as the plants become better established. Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12871

You can see why they named this series NIMBUS™! Dense cloud-like masses composed of hundreds of frilly white flowers are held atop sturdy dark colored stems and the fine-textured Columbine-like bluish-green foliage beginning in mid-spring and continuing into summer. The flowers are followed by lavender-pink seedheads adding further interest. NIMBUS™ White Thalictrum is a clump-forming perennial that was selected for its more compact habit than the species as well as for its denser showier flower clusters. *They are tolerant of full sun in areas with cool summers but may do best with midday and afternoon shade or filtered shade in hot summer climates. We actually grow them under deciduous shade to good effect here in 8B. Meadow-Rue generally prefers a moist, well-drained, fertile soil for optimum vigor and flowering. Flowering may be limited the first season but will increase with each year as the plants become better established. Photos courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12870

The exceptionally dark purple to near black foliage provides the perfect foil for the numerous 2-3' high spikes of light lavender tubular flowers that appear white against their backdrop. Onyx and Pearls Penstemon or Beardtongue begins flowering in late spring to early summer providing weeks of color and a feast of nectar for hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees. Even when not in flower the cloak of dark foliage provides a wonderful contrast for its neighbors. This easy to grow, clump-forming perennial is a selection of our native Foxglove Beardtongue, Penstemon digitalis, and will perform best in a moist to average moist, well-drained soil and a full to mostly sunny site will provide the darkest foliage color. Images courtesy of Walter's Gardens, Inc., all rights reserved. Item# 12308

The dark colored spikes are adorned with deep salmony-orange two-lipped tubular flowers that lighten slightly as they age and are produced from mid to late spring to fall and attract a variety of pollinators. Peach Cobbler Salvia, a likely hybrid of Salvia greggii, is a compact long flowering shrubby perennial sage with a compact habit that makes an easy, reliable, and forgiving container specimen as well as a long-flowering addition to the sunny garden or landscape. Provide a full to mostly sunny site with very good to excellent drainage for optimum health and flowering. Drought resistant once fully established and deer resistant. Images courtesy of Jadelty Nursery, all rights reserved. Item# 13169

A slightly more compact Joe-Pye Weed-like hybrid, in summer Phantom Eupatorium produces large rounded clusters of purplish-pink flowers that sit atop sturdy dark maroon stems adorned with large medium green Joe-Pye Weed-like foliage. This clump forming herbaceous perennial was selected for its shorter branchier habit, excellent flower power, and mildew resistance but in all other regards is very similar to its larger growing parent. At maturity Phantom Eupatorium develops into a large rounded perennial to about 5'x5' whose stems are topped in 12" wide clusters of nectar rich flowers for weeks attracting a bevy of bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Provide a full to mostly sunny location and a wet to moist soil and can be used in bog gardens and near ponds or other water sources. Received 4 out of 5 stars in Joe Pye Weed trials at Chicago Botanic Gardens. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11976

The near black to deep burgundy, glossy, heart-shaped tropical foliage is splashed and flecked with pink and white and the images shown are examples of how extreme the variegation can be with entire leaves or large portions of leaves being entirely pink. The Pink Princess Philodendron, a selection or hybrid of Philodendron erubescens, is a slow growing vine-like tropical plant which can be allowed to trail or trained to a support. It is tolerant of medium to semi-bright light conditions indoors and should not be exposed to direct sunlight even through a window. Outdoors on or a shaded porch or patio, the plants should be in light shade with no direct sunlight which can burn the foliage. Provide an average moist, fertile, well-drained soil for optimum vigor and never allow the plants to remain soggy wet even for short periods. These are well-established, vigorous plants with good variegation and will be selected from our current crop. Item# 9028