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

The dark colored purplish-bronze finely textured foliage makes a beautiful addition to the perennial border or the butterfly garden. Mix it with Golden Delicious Pineapple Sage or other yellow foliaged and flowering plants for a great combination. Item #9121.

Dark maroon to near black stems foliage and stems make this native perennial a standout amongst its garden peers even without its starkly contrasting clusters of white late summer flowers. Chocolate Eupatorium, a cultivar of White Snakeroot and actually a species of Ageratina altissima (not Eupatorium altissimum), is a rhizomatously spreading herbaceous perennial with an upright bushy habit to about 3' high (or to 5' in rich moist soils) that is found throughout the central and eastern US. Provide a full to mostly sunny site for the deepest foliage color and optimum flowering. The flowers attracts bees, butterflies, other garden beneficials. Use Chocolate Eupatorium as a tall informal groundcover, utilize it in mixed perennial borders with other vigorous growing perennials, or as a container plant. Received 5 out of 5 stars in trials at Chicago Botanic Gardens. Images courtesy of North Creek Nurseries, all rights reserved. Item# 11975

Deep dark red petals contrast nicely with the golden yellow centers of Ebony Embers' flowers all held above the dark, nearly black, burgundy foliage. This disease resistant introduction has a naturally upright to vase-shaped habit and enduring foliage color that lasts throughout summer. The contrasting foliage color and deep darkly colored flowers are sure to make a statement in the landscape. Item# 10734.

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

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

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 black to deep burgundy, glossy, heart-shaped tropical foliage is splashed and flecked with white and pink. An easily grown indoor or tropical plant that is sure to make a statement. This is a slow growing vine-like philodendron which can be trained to a support or allowed to trail. Item # 9028.

The large pink, white, and rose colored flowers are set against a foil of starkly contrasting near black, maple-like foliage of this hardy Hibiscus. Starry Starry Night Hibiscus has some of the darkest foliage of any of the new cultivars of perennial Hibiscus and the light colored flowers definitely stand out dramatically! This Walter's Gardens introduction was selected not only for its amazing foliage and flowers but also for the fact that it flowers from the top to the bottom of the naturally rounded plants unlike some of the older cultivars. Provide a moist, fertile soil in a full to mostly sunny position. Item# 11419

Deeply lobed lime green leaves are neatly edged in darkly contrasting shades of dark purple with a purplish-red reverse. TERRA NOVA® Quetzal Coleus develops into a dense, well-branched mound of colorful foliage that is perfectly suited for use as small specimen plants and in mixed containers as well as in the garden and landscape. This small mannerly heat loving Coleus thrives in shaded conditions and provides color from spring until first frost or year round under warm tropical conditions. Provide a moist to average moist, fertile soil. Image courtesy of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc. www.terranovanurseries.com, all rights reserved. Item# 12133

This uniquely colored Cryptanthus produces a rosette of deep burgundy or nearly black leaves with irregular white cross bands. This easy to grow tropical looks great spilling from terra-cotta colored containers, in mixed container gardens, or as an underplanting for larger growing plants. Probably our favorite Earth Star! Item# 761.