Billbergia 'Darth Vader'

Favorite Black Flower: Helleborus

Onyx Odyssey

Black Diamond

Black Swan

so many varieties

Gorgeous!!

Blooming Eucomis comosa 'Sparkling Burgundy', not as dark anymore:

Heuchera 'Blackout' under Jasminum officinale 'Frojas':

Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic' in a bed of Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea':

Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl':

Have you seen the black leaved Crape Myrtles? I like the ones with white flowers the best. I've explained it all to the bushes in my garden that the minute one of them misbehaves it will be replaced.

Those black-leaved crape myrtles look great. A much-needed innovation for a nice but often overused shrub/tree. Good choice for a new garden. But even the black ones won't be making our to-do list though, as there are already too many of the non-black ones in the neighborhood, so it would be hard to allocate any space for a black crape myrtle at the exclusion of something more unique. On a positive note, some of our crape myrtles have reached the stage where their multiple trunks start to merge into a single trunk. This is a good sign of more mature neighborhoods and gardens, as it happens at about fifteen years of age. One tree that must have been planted out older has already a two feet long merged trunk. Some people are puzzled by it and don't realize that it is a crape myrtle because of the almost exclusive prevalence of the younger multitrunked form.

Just thought I would add a few of my own.

Begonia.

Every year I pick out seeds from the cotton bolls for planting the next year. Gave me new respect for the invention of the cotton gin.

I used to grow black cotton but lost it a few years ago. I'd love to trade for seed if it comes true.

Sure, Karen. They do come true. Just email me: karencds@yahoo.com.

Cordyline australis 'Red Star', purchased at Home Depot in the spring of 2015 labeled as "annual".

Black Diamond Crape

Gorgeous!

This picture shows four stages of fruit development in Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl', sequentially in progressing maturity:

1. purple/blue flowers
2. black round peppers (the eponymous 'black pearls')
3. green round peppers (only one visible - brief stage)
4. red round peppers - final mature fruits

We offered the seeds at multiple Raleigh Swaps and no one ever wanted them :-0 .

Ricinus communis 'New Zealand Purple' started from seed in spring, now over 7 ft tall (and this in a suboptimal, partially shaded location - can do much better in full sun):

Oh Casa Lester.

How did I miss that? I mean peppers!! Do you have any to share, this swap?? If not, next time! Unfortunately, I do not have any exotic stuff to share. I do vegetables mainly so... However, I am looking for the Milk crates. Will get you for the Jasminium Frojas.

Thanks !

The castor bean, Ricinus communis L. is beautiful. Most folks grow to repel rodents i think!

Les, I think I had that Capsicum years ago but lost it. Now that I see your photo will have to see about trying again.

Sabji, I tried castor oil to repel voles one year but it just made them mad, and they took their revenge on my contorted hazelnut in another part of the garden.

Karen,

Goodness Gracious!! Mean !! voles!!!

Opuntia 'Dark Knight' purchased one year ago from Cold Hardy Cactus - living up to its name. Being sort of black and a succulent, it is close to what would be for us a perfect plant.

We are embarrassed to admit that we've been trying to get Alcea rosea 'Nigra' established from seedlings - which look healthy - for a few years now, but they always die after a few weeks. Could it be the clay soil?

FDK After Dark ‘SVO Black Pearl’. Not mine, I’m sad to say, just enjoying it on loan for a few weeks.

That orchid is pretty intense.

I've never heard of a black orchid! Incredible.

At the Fall plant exchange, someone brought Pitcher Plant cuttings. They started. Do I eventually plant them in a hanging basket in full sun?

I have an ajuga that's nearly black.

Prunus persica 'Bonfire' (obtained from Jaimie):

Black seedpods of Baptisia are quite ornamental:

Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum 'Black Varnish' grown in pots in USBG:

Not black, just really, really dark purple. And Houzz really, really wants you to see it sideways, at least in my preview.

Edited to add, Houzz doesn’t want you to see it all today!

Trying again.

That orchid is incredible!

Karen, do you know the details of what it is? Inquiring minds would like to know :-) .

(Paphiopedilum Supersuk ‘Eureka’ AM/AOS x Paphiopedilum Raisin Pie ‘Hsinying’) x sib

The foliage on this one is just as nice as the flower.

that is one good looking plant!!!Almost like a peacock showing off!!!

Has anyone grown alpinia kalsumadai -- Kalsumadai Ginger? The internet says it is hardy at Zone 8 -- have you grown it outside?

Side-by-side comparison of Opuntias 'Baby Rita' (left) and 'Dark Knight' (right), after spring eviction from the house and several weeks of sunlight adaptation:

Lester, looking good. I left my baby Baby Rita outdoors in it's pot most of the winter since it never got all that cold, mainly just brought it inside for snow and ice. Do you plan on putting one or both of those in the ground this year?

Both planted out and growing well.

'Baby Rita':

We finally added two black classics to our collection:
Dianthus barbatus 'Sooty'

Alcea rosea 'Nigra'

Also, nice black flowers on a Hemerocallis hybrid #07 obtained several swaps ago from CountrygirlSC:

In addition to Capsicum annuum "Black Pearl" (see below: larger plant, left), we also have a related variety "Purple Flash" (smaller plant, right). While it also has similar pearl-like fruits and its mature leaves can get close to black (in particular in full sun), its new leaf growth is more variegated.

Just got some cuttings of a very exciting black plant Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Raven'

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=443993&isprofile=0&;.