The Black Tulip

Black flowers have a certain magic, and when those flowers are tulips, you can be sure of getting something truly dramatic. Although black tulips are relatively rare (and technically more eggplant than true black), there are, nevertheless fantastic cultivars out there – enough to ensure that you’ll be able to pick and choose and may even have some difficulty in deciding which one to select. Let’s explore the wonderful world of black tulips together!

Queen of the night: The elegance of this tulip matches its regal name. It’s tall, it’s graceful, and the form of the blooms is classic and striking. Each glossy petal sparkles with a dark lustre. This is a truly spectacular choice that every tulip enthusiast should try at least once. Plant it on its own or combine it with a contrasting yellow, red, white or pink for extra drama. ‘Queen of the Night’ is one of the blackest of the black tulips available today.

Black Parrot: Deepest burgundy, black and cream combine in the fabulously plump blooms of this parrot variety. You could easily believe that ‘parrot’ tulips are so called because of their glorious color combinations and feathery petals, but it’s really the beak-like buds that earned them this classification. ‘Black Parrot’ offers a symphony of colors all on its own. We recommend planting it as a striking accent color.

Black Hero: If you adore the abundant petals of double tulips, this tulip is perfect for you! It’s a deep, purple-black with flashes of wine-red – superb in the garden or as a cut flower with a difference. ‘Black Hero’ is a late flowering tulip that will bring your tulip flowering season to a breath-taking finale.

Alabama Collection: Many gardeners and landscapers feel that black ‘disappears’ all too readily into the background, but using black in the landscape is an art on its own. Contrasts are the key to throwing dark colored blooms into prominence. If you’re not sure how to go about doing that, the Alabama Collection solves your problem in style. The combination of tall, black tulips and slightly shorter apricot blooms shows just how wonderful black can be when used in gardens and landscapes.

Ideas for using black tulips

As illustrated by the Alabama Collection, contrast is key. Apart from planting your black tulips with paler colors to create excitement, you can also achieve eye-catching displays by mass-planting them against a pale-green background.

Black is a very elegant color, but it will get lost if it is dotted around among too many other colors. When combining different colors of tulips to showcase your superb black blooms, choose one other color to get the maximum effect. If the mixture of apricot and black we’ve featured here doesn’t work for you, consider choosing a white tulip variety – just remember to check that the blooming time will match that of your black tulip variety.

Large, white pots will also throw your black blooms into striking prominence as will planting them in beds surrounded by paler paving or green lawns. Black tulips are a stunning addition to any garden. Give them pride of place!

Please click here to check all our black flower bulb varieties.