15 Black Plants You Can Grow Indoors This Fall For Halloween
With Halloween only a few months away, it might be time to start planning your decorations if you like to go all-out for this ghoulish holiday. This year, you might consider a natural approach that is a little more unique compared to your average pumpkin-themed decor. When your home needs more gothic flair for the upcoming Halloween season, plants with dark foliage can bring a moody, spooky, and nightmarish vibe to any room in your house. Their black, or almost-black, leaves contrast beautifully with skeleton-white drapes, blood-red decor, or pumpkin-orange furniture.
Evoke the macabre by adding inky-black foliage and flowers to your houseplant collection that you can nurture year-round, or transplant into your garden in the spring. Most of the species in this collection grow well indoors and outdoors depending on the USDA growing zone you live in. But, you should be mindful that there is more to caring for an indoor/outdoor plant than simply moving its container from one location to another. The process can be difficult for high-maintenance houseplants with strict care requirements, according to Pennington. Always be sure to check the growing conditions of any plant before you buy to avoid being haunted by the ghosts of plants passed.
Black magic plant
The black magic plant (Colocasia esculenta) is known for its large, elephant ear-like foliage that is purple-black. Typically, this plant's leaves look their best when they are exposed to full sun, according to Missouri Botanical Garden. If you can find a south-facing window where it can soak up as much sunlight as possible during the autumn months, it can welcome fall with a gothic appearance.
Bloom Season: Summer
USDA Growing Zone: 8 to 10
Growing Conditions: Bright indirect light
Soil Type: Rich and moist potting mix
Size: 3 to 6 feet tall and wide
Raven ZZ plant
The raven ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) is one cultivar of the houseplant recognized for its ability to grow in poor conditions. This striking plant features darkly-colored leaves and stems that become blacker as they age. You should grow this unique species in an area of your home that receives low light and be sure not to overwater it, warns the University of Florida.
Bloom Season: Mid-summer
USDA Growing Zone:9 to 10
Growing Conditions: Medium to low indirect light
Soil Type: Well-drained potting mix
Size: 16 to 30 inches tall and 20 to 40 inches wide
Black sweet potato vine
The black sweet potato vine (Ipomea batatas 'Solar Power Black') is a bushy, trailing plant that grows well indoors or outdoors. When provided with the right growing conditions, this species will need pruning often to maintain a compact shape, as per RHS.
Bloom Season: Spring and summer
USDA Growing Zone: 11
Growing Conditions: Bright direct or indirect light
Soil Type: Well-drained, loam-based potting mix
Size: 4 to 10 inches tall and 4 to 5 feet wide
Chinese jade
The Chinese jade plant (Sinocrassula yunnanensis) is a rare succulent plant that is well-known for its spooky appearance, according to Mountain Crest Gardens. This mostly-black plant is characterized by many pointed leaves that grow even darker when exposed to bright sunlight. For the best color, you should keep yours near a south-facing window.
Bloom Season: Summer to fall
USDA Growing Zone: 9 to 10
Growing Conditions: Bright indirect light
Soil Type: Gritty and well-draining potting mix
Size: 3 to 5 feet tall
Black velvet plant
Black velvet plants (Alocasia reginula) aren't completely black, but their velvety soft leaves and moody color happily welcome the Halloween season. These leaves, which are typically a shade of dark gray-green, also display silvery veins and knife-like tips, as shown by Petal Republic. This gorgeous plant prefers bright, indirect light and high humidity.
Bloom Season: Unlikely to flower indoors
USDA Growing Zone: 10 to 11
Growing Conditions: Medium to bright indirect light
Soil Type: Course and well-draining potting mix
Size: About 1 foot tall and wide
Coleus
Coleus (Coleus scutellarioides) of the 'Black Prince' and 'Palisandra' varieties show off black foliage that is described as soft and neatly-serrated. Among other, brighter houseplants, this coleus cultivar acts as a great contrast. According to Missouri Botanical Garden, most coleus varieties can be found at your local garden center.
Bloom Season: Summer to early fall
USDA Growing Zone: 10 to 11
Growing Conditions: Medium to low indirect light
Soil Type: Moist, rich, and well-draining
Size: 6 inches to 3 feet tall and wide
Rubber plant
'Black Prince' and 'Burgundy' variety rubber plants (Ficus elastica) are grown for their mysterious leaves and limited care requirements. These two cultivars feature darkly colored foliage that is nearly black and perfect for Halloween. Clemson Cooperative Extension advises that the rubber plant, which grows in a diverse range of conditions, should be kept away from children and pets due to its poisonous sap.
Bloom Season: Spring and summer
USDA Growing Zone: 10 to 11
Growing Conditions: Bright indirect light
Soil Type: Well-draining potting mix
Size: 6 to 10 feet tall
Black peperomia
Black peperomia (Peperomia caperata 'Burgundy Ripple') is an evergreen herbaceous ground cover plant that is native to brazil. In most U.S. states, this tropical species is grown indoors where it won't get too cold. The burgundy ripple variety displays dark red-green leaves that appear black, according to North Carolina State Extension.
Bloom Season: Summer to fall
USDA Growing Zone: 11 to 12
Growing Conditions: Medium to bright indirect light
Soil Type: Well-draining potting mix
Size: 6 to 8 inches tall and 6 to 24 inches wide
Black hens and chicks
Hens and chicks (Sempervivum 'Black') are well-known for growing and multiplying outdoors, even in colder states. The hens and chicks that you typically find are bright green with some red, however, the 'Black' cultivar is described as green at the center with black tips. Walters Gardens points out that this hardy succulent can be grown almost anywhere, even in poor soil.
Bloom Season: Summer
USDA Growing Zone: 3 to 8
Growing Conditions: Full sun
Soil Type: Well-drained loam or sand
Size: 6 inches to 1 foot tall
Black rose aeonium
The 'Black Rose' cultivar of aeonium (Aeonium arboreum 'Zwartkop') is another succulent plant that appears black with proper care. According to San Marcos Growers, this plant, perfect for autumn, is at its darkest in the early part of fall. Make sure to provide this stonecrop with little water and some sunlight.
Bloom Season: Summer
USDA Growing Zone: 3 to 8
Growing Conditions: Bright direct or indirect light
Soil Type: Well-draining potting mix
Size: 4 to 6 inches tall and 6 to 8 inches wide
Persian lily
The Persian lily (Fritillaria persica) is a relatively tall-growing plant that blooms with red-black bell-shaped flowers. Good for indoor and outdoor use, this perennial flower can grow almost anywhere in the United States, as explained by High Country Gardens. This is the perfect black plant to keep in a container you can move inside and outside as you please.
Bloom Season: Spring and summer
USDA Growing Zone: 5 to 8
Growing Conditions: Bright direct or indirect light
Soil Type: Well-draining potting mix
Size: 28 to 32 inches tall
Waffle plant
Waffle plants (Hemigraphis 'Exotica') are best grown indoors where their leaves won't be harmed by intense, direct sunlight. This cultivar's foliage is characterized by glossy burgundy-black leaves that are green on their underside, as described by Missouri Botanical Garden. They look best in hanging baskets where they can give moody energy to any corner of your home.
Bloom Season: Summer
USDA Growing Zone: 10 to 11
Growing Conditions: Medium to bright light
Soil Type: Moist, rich, humous, well-draining
Size: 6 inches to 1 foot tall
Black pansies
Black pansies (Viola × wittrockiana) almost look like a freak of nature. Their petals are so black and velvety that they look unreal. You have to see them for yourself. When you are looking for a flower to bring ghoulish energy to your home, pick this pansy cultivar that Outside Pride describes as an attention-getter.
Bloom Season: Spring and summer
USDA Growing Zone: 5 to 9
Growing Conditions: Bright direct or indirect light
Soil Type: Well-draining potting mix
Size: 6 to 8 inches tall
Cardinal flower
The 'Black Truffle' cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis 'Black Truffle') blooms with bright red flowers in the summer, but its foliage is glossy and black, as per North Creek Nurseries. This red and black combination allows for a vampy feel just before we head into fall. If you plan to keep this flower outdoors during the summer, remember that it attracts pollinators like hummingbirds.
Bloom Season: Summer
USDA Growing Zone: 3 to 9
Growing Conditions: Bright direct or indirect light
Soil Type: Rich and well-draining potting mix
Size: 3 to 4 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide
Black mondo grass
Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus 'Kokuryu') looks similar to spider plants if their leaves were completely black. This short plant is typically used as ground cover outdoors, as told by Plant Delights Nursery, but it also looks great in a container or a hanging basket indoors. Thankfully, there have been no toxic components reported for this plant, so it should be fine to keep around if you have pets or small children.
Bloom Season: Summer
USDA Growing Zone: 7 to 10
Growing Conditions: Bright to medium light
Soil Type: Well-draining potting mix
Size: 6 inches tall