Light and color often steal the show in garden design—but don’t underestimate the power of dark. Deep, moody foliage and blooms can add sophistication, contrast, and dimension that brighter colors simply can’t achieve. Whether you’re looking to create a high-drama border, define a focal point, or flirt with the gothic garden aesthetic, rich hues are your design secret weapon.

Black Negligee Snakeroot

Why Use Deep Color in the Garden

1. Instant Drama
Dark foliage creates visual weight, which helps anchor the landscape and draw the eye. A plant like Black Lace Elderberry or Crimson Sunset Maple instantly adds gravitas to even the sunniest corner.

2. Built-In Contrast
Deep purple, burgundy, and black tones make neighboring greens seem brighter and flowers pop harder. Place Forever Purple Heuchera near lime-colored hostas, or flank a pale-pink hydrangea with Black Scallop Ajuga—you’ll see the color magic right away.

3. Focal Points that Hold
Dark plants naturally pull focus. Use one to ground a container planting, line a pathway, or set off a garden sculpture. Weigela Wine and Roses, Showtime Crabapple, or Maple Royal Red are standout choices.

4. Year-Round Interest
While flowers may come and go, dark foliage often holds its color all season (or year, in some shrubs and trees). Plants like Fireside Ninebark, North Wind Korean Maple, and Toscana Barberry earn their keep long after the blooms fade.

Huechera 'Wildberry' (left) and Chocolate Shogun Astilbe (right)

Photos courtesy of Monrovia

A Nod to the Goth Garden

There’s a growing trend—pun intended—among gardeners who lean into a moody, romantic, slightly wild aesthetic known as the goth garden. Think dark-leaved plants, inky blooms, dramatic silhouettes, and plenty of atmosphere. But it doesn’t have to be all black everything. You can evoke the vibe with deep plums, velvety reds, smoky purples, and moody textures.

Add plants like Black Negligee Snakeroot, Dark Magic Sedum, or Timeless Night Heuchera to give your garden just the right dose of brooding charm.

Black Lace Elderberry
Purpleleaf Sandcherry
Maple 'Royal Red'
Maple Japanese 'Velvet Viking'
ShowTime Crabapple
Hardy Hibiscus 'Edge of Night'
Heuchera 'Timeless Night'
Ajuga 'Black Scallop'

Dark-Hued Favorites in Stock Now

Ready to cast some shadows? Here are some of our favorite plants in stock this season that bring bold, dark color to the garden:

Trees & Shrubs

  • Barberry ‘Toscana’
  • North Wind Korean Maple
  • Showtime Crabapple
  • Royal Raindrops Crabapple
  • Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’
  • Weigela ‘Spilled Wine’
  • Black Lace Elderberry
  • Eclipse Hydrangea
  • Maple ‘Japanese Velvet Viking’
  • Maple ‘Crimson Sunset’
  • Maple ‘Royal Red’
  • Fireside Ninebark
  • Purpleleaf Sandcherry

Perennials & Groundcovers

  • Black Negligee Snakeroot
  • Black Forest Heuchera
  • Forever Purple Heuchera
  • Palace Purple Heuchera
  • Northern Exposure Black Heuchera
  • Timeless Night Heuchera
  • Dolce Wildberry Heuchera
  • Black Scallop Ajuga
  • Chocolate Shogun Astilbe
  • Pink Spike Snakeroot
  • Dark Magic Sedum
  • Husker Red Beardtongue
  • Summerific Edge of Night Hibiscus
  • Sunsparkler Plum Dazzled Sedum

Whether you want to turn a whole bed into a twilight-hued tapestry or simply add one moody accent to your mixed border, deep color plants create a visual and emotional contrast that’s hard to ignore.

Go ahead—embrace the dark.