The first flowers of the gardening season here in southern Finland are tulips. Naturally, my own garden is home to mostly dark color varieties: Ronaldo, Black Hero, Vincent van Gogh, Queen of the Night, and Black Parrot.
The 5 Dark Tulips in my garden:
Tulip 'Black Hero'
This is my current favorite black tulip.
Black Hero is a double late tulip variety, a sport of the famous Queen of the Night tulip. It was introduced in 1984. The flowers are rich, deep purple to black and have multiple layers of petals, giving them a lush, peony-like appearance. Blooming in late spring, Black Hero is renowned for its striking, velvety texture and dramatic presence in any garden. In my own garden, Black Hero has consistently achieved the darkest appearance.
Now, when I say it’s a “double late” tulip variety, I don’t mean it’s showing up late to the party with a friend. No, no. This means it’s got double the number of petals compared to a regular tulip and it arrives fashionably late in the tulip blooming season, like a true diva. So basically, it blooms later in the season, after most other tulips have already flowered. But honestly, this year many others are late – or then the Black Hero is early…
The double-petals is what makes it so cool in my opinion. This structure gives it a lush, peony-like appearance. I think it resembles more of a rose than a tulip!
They are somewhat less common than Black Parrot or Queen of the Night, at least here in Finland, but they still appear fairly often.
2. Tulip 'Ronaldo'
Ronaldo is a showstopper of a tulip known for its deep maroon to almost black color. From Garden.org, I learned that it was registered in 1996. The petals are smooth, and the flowers bloom in mid to late spring.
My Ronaldos ended up with me somewhat by accident and are actually the most colorful on this list. I randomly found a bag in a store that simply said ‘Black Tulip’ and nothing else. The tulips in the picture vaguely resembled Queen of the Night, so I figured that’s probably what they were – despite the somewhat scruffily executed name.
At first, I was a bit disappointed when dark red-pink blooms emerged from the ground. “Black Tulip? More like Pink Tulip!” I thought. However, disappointment soon turned to curiosity as the flowers began to darken. The back of the petals developed a dark, matte grey-violet section. The tips of the petals remained increasingly reddish. The inside of the flower also turned very black. On shadier days, the Ronaldos fit very well in my garden, and if you like vampire-world-appropriate colors like this black-red, Ronaldo can be a very good flower!
3. Tulip 'Vincent van Gogh'
This tulip was a delightful surprise when I first had the pleasure of admiring it in my garden. Its name would suggest yellow rather than black to me. Usually, dark flowers are always something like “black,” “midnight,” “twilight,” “dark,” “mystic,” and so on.
Vincent van Gogh, however, surprised me with its deliciously saturated color. The blooms are a deep, velvety purple with a hint of black, giving them a rich and dramatic appearance. The petals have a slightly ruffled edge, adding to their unique charm. According to QFB Gardening, this tulip was introduced over 120 years after its namesake’s death and has since become a favorite for its striking and unusual color.
There is something enchanting about them in such a way that I often find myself staring at them for longer periods. The color is very vampire-romantically dark. If you’re not familiar with it, I recommend getting some!
4. Tulip 'Queen of the Night'
You really can’t talk about black tulips without discussing this particular primadonna! Queen of the Night is one of the most well-known black tulip varieties. It was also the first black flower that I saw. I heard that my classmate’s mother had black tulips and went to see. That’s when I first time heard the name of this coloration.
Introduced in 1944, it has since become a favorite among gardeners for its almost black, deep purple blooms. The flowers have a classic tulip shape and bloom in mid to late spring.
These queens are striking because they tend to grow quite tall. They are beautifully elegant in shape, with a smooth, glossy texture that adds a touch of sophistication. I also find them pretty easy. Queen of the Night tulips have always succeeded well in my garden!
5. Tulip 'Black Parrot'
The fifth black tulip on my list is Black Parrot. This variety boasts deeply fringed petals and a rich, dark color that can vary from deep purple to almost black, adding a dramatic flair to any garden. Black Parrot was introduced in 1937 and has been admired for its unique appearance ever since.
Although Black Parrot is supposed to be super dark, I somehow ended up with mostly the more reddish ones. Even when looking at pictures, there seems to be a huge variation. It feels like buying a pig in a poke with these. Additionally, for the past two summers, my Black Parrots have remained stunted, while other tulips have thrived. I’m not quite sure why. According to Gardenia.com, they are somewhat sensitive to cold, and we’ve certainly had an annoying late winter here in Finland.
For the next season, I will probably try an entirely new flower bed to see if that helps.
Those are the tulips for this season in my Black Gothic Garden. My dream for next summer is to have the darkest possible tulips: Paul Scherer!
