9 Trees With Black Leaves: Magical and Mysterious Selections

Trees with black leaves bring out the drama and opulence in any garden. Plants with darker foliage contrast perfectly with other colors, highlighting their beauty even more.

We’re pretty sure that after reading this list of plants with dark leaves, you’ll be growing some of your own very soon, so let’s get started!

List of Unique Trees With Black Leaves

1. Black Lace Elderberry

Homeowners should try growing plants with dark leaves at least once in their lives, but how do you know which one is for you? Here is one of our favorite plants with ebony leaves.

This cultivar has foliage in intense shades of purplish-black. The overall appearance is similar to Japanese maples but slightly smaller. Delicate pink flowers come out during springtime, usually with a strong sweet fragrance. This cold-hardy plant is easy to grow, preferring full sun to partial shade where it can grow to around 6 feet tall.

2. Purple-leaf Plum Tree

The dark purple leaves of this tree are inky enough to be mistaken for black, even during the sunniest days. This tree grows moderately and allows homeowners to enjoy its beautiful rounded growth habit. Flowers can either come in white or pink colors that are similar to cherry blossoms. Fully mature specimens can reach up to 15 to 25 feet tall and wide.

3. Purple-leaf Sand Cherry

This tree is important to wildlife since the small purple fruits supply some animals’ daily food requirements. Aside from this, the foliage of this tree is quite striking since its dark inky leaves are purplish-black. It can take about 3 to 5 years for this tree to mature to heights of 6 to 10 feet tall. Once it does, the tree starts to produce white and pink blossoms.

4. Crepe Myrtle

Grown in full sun, this tree can reach up to 6 to 25 feet tall. The leaves look perfectly black, although they are actually deep dark purple upon closer inspection, such as the ones found in “Black Diamond.” Flowers come in bold shades of red, including orangey red to vivid scarlet. This tree is very adaptive and will do well in almost any area.

5. Baneberry

The serrated leaves of this plant start off as a brilliant emerald green before maturing into dark purple colors that are nearly black. The slender white bottlebrush flowers shoot up from the plant, swaying gently in the breeze and imparting their sweet fragrance in the air. Place this in an area that receives full to partial sun and watch the whole plant grow up to 5 or 6 feet tall.

6. Ninebark

The peeling, flaking bark of this plant is enough interest on its own. Paired with black leaves, the ninebark tree becomes even more of a scene stealer. Most cultivars have green leaves, so look for “Diablo,” “Tiny Wine,” and “Center Glow” for some darker leaves. Place them in areas with full to partial sun exposure, and they just might make your garden even more magical.

7. Crimson King Norway Maple

The green colors of the flowers make a wonderful contrast to the dark purple-black colors of the leaves. Place it in an area that receives full sun so that it can quickly grow up to heights of 35 to 45 feet. While it is an attractive tree with dramatic foliage, you’ll need to consult your local environmental agencies since it can be quite invasive. This can impact your local biodiversity.

8. Helmond Pillar Barberry

In the summer, expect to see green foliage. As the seasons change, you can expect this tree to display leaves of different colors that range from orange, red, and purple-black. This is a tall shrub but can also be considered a small tree since it can get up to 5 to 6 feet in height. While it grows at a regular pace, it can easily spread throughout many open spaces.

9. Purple Copper Beech Tree

This tree is large and deciduous, which is perfect if you’re looking for a little bit of drama in your garden. When grown in full sun, it can get to about 60 to 80 feet in height with a spread of around 40 to 60 feet. It starts out with purple-black leaves in spring that slowly turn green in the summer. In the fall, the foliage turns into colors of copper and rust before falling off in the winter.

Conclusion

Trees that have black leaf properties tend to be highly attractive due to their contrasting colors. Let’s take a few seconds to recap everything we’ve learned:

• Consider your regional growing conditions to determine the correct tree for you.
• Avoid trees that may present a threat to you or your pets, such as the black lace elderberry, purple-leaf plum tree, and the purple-leaf sand cherry.
• Steer clear of trees that are considered invasive in your area, such as the purple-leaf sand cherry, crepe myrtle, and the crimson king norway maple.

Now that you have a much better idea of which trees suit your garden best, which ones are you interested in growing? Let us know if we missed any trees with black-colored leaves!

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