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Shades and shadows add dimension to a drawing. Why not try it in the garden? Although many ‘black' plants are actually dark purple, red or brown, they add interest and some drama to the garden. They also contrast with the plants around them giving depth to the scene.

Here are some great black plants for southern California gardens:

Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens' (Black Mondo Grass) - grows to about 6"-8" high with black strap leaves. Great in a pot. Best in part sun. The flowers are white/lavender.

Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Black Beard' - a taller Ophiopogon that grows to about 12" in height and 18"-24" wide. Very black. Best in part sun. Flowers are white/lavender.

Heuchera - there are a number of dark leafed Heucheras including H. ‘Black Beauty', H. ‘Moonlight' and H.‘Obsidian'. These plants grow to about 8"- 10" in height and twice the width. They do need regular water and can be touchy if they're not happy with their location. They like some shade and dislike clay soil. The flowers are white and rise above the plants on long stems.

Aeonium ‘Zwartkop'- (grows to about 3 feet in height and 2-3 feet wide), and other forms include A.‘Voodoo'(can grow to 4 feet in height) and A.‘Purple Queen' ( 2-3 feet in height). These plants are succulents and drought tolerant, and they like full sun, but can live in some shade. They have a rosette form on long stems. When they get too leggy, just cut off the rosette, remove some stem and re-plant. The stem will die after flowering. Flowers are yellow. 

Echeveria ‘Black Prince' (Black Hens and Chicks) - another succulent with very dark leaves and featuring a rosette form. Nice in a succulent garden or in a pot. Stays under 12". It is a succulent that grows in sun or shade. The plant has a red flower cluster in the fall.

Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum ‘Hines Purple Leaf' (Red Fringe Flower) - though not as dark as the above plants, it does have a fairly dark purple leaf. This plant grows to about 6-7 feet in height and about the same width. It's a beautiful plant with pink flowers in spring. It appreciates some shade.

Loropetalum chinense ‘Monraz' - is another dark leafed Loropetalum growing to 5-6 feet in height and 4-5 feet wide with a pink flower. Great for a focal point in the garden or to highlight water features.

Phormium (Flax) - keep in mind that all Phormiums are not stable. This means they may revert back to a green or brown color. If you love a certain ‘unstable' flax you can cut off the reverting leaf, but I try to use only stable plants. Phormiums come in upright, semi-upright and draping forms.

P. ‘Dusky Chief' - is one of my favorites and although not black, is dark enough to give a nice accent. It grows to about 3-4 feet in height and its strap leaves grow in the upright form. Plant in full sun. There are several other dark colored phormiums such as P. ‘ Dark Delight' which is stable and P. ‘Black Adder' that is fairly new to the trade and may or may not be stable.

Agonis flexuosa ‘Jervis Bay Afterdark' (After Dark Peppermint Tree) - looking for a dark leafed tree? This selection of Agonis features weeping, narrow, dark purple leaves. It grows to about 15-20 feet in height and about 10-12 feet wide. In spring small white flowers appear. Its growth is rather slow and it's an open tree. Give it full sun. It can live along the coast and tolerates wind.

Experiment with black colored plants. They'll add a new dimension to your garden.