1. Dark Peonies

Tree Peony:

Buckeye Belle herbaceous Peony:

2. Several dark Heuchera varieties

3. Some Clematis with really dark flowers:

4. Several shrubs and small trees: Weigela, Sambucus Black Lace, two dark foliage Crape Myrtles.

5. Several dark foliage perennial geraniums.

6. Eucomis - do not remember the name, but it has really dark leaves and returns for me for the third year. A keeper!

7. Ophiopogon p. 'Ebony Night' (Black Mondo Grass)

8. Several bronze/burgundy foliage Dahlias.

9. A couple of black tomatoes :) First year, in containers.

What are your favorite dark ones? Pictures please!!

We also need some gold foliage plant lists too. LOL.

Plus, I'm loving the deep rusty-orange foliage of Berberis thunbergii 'Orange Rocket' and the red of Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron' (Japanese Blood Grass).

Nice foliage all year and like how the dark foliage shows off the colorful flowers when in bloom.

Euphorbia 'Bonfire'

A favorite Heuchera 'Cherries Jubilee' with Hosta 'Sum and Substance'

Berberis Crimson Pygmy and Bonanza Gold

loropetalum
eucomis 'Sparkling Burgundy'
penstemon 'Husker's Red'
chocolate eupatorium

Cameron

Just driving through the neighborhood this morning, some woodies:
Japanese maples
Prunus virginiana 'Canada Red'
Many red foliaged crabapples, which will also have deep red fruit
Purple leafed sand cherry
Deep red rhododendrons

Bulbs:
Many deep red lilies. If you are bothered by red lily beetles, I have found that the trumpet/oriental hybrids (sometimes called orienpets) aren't bothered by them
Deep red tulips, like Queen of Night

Oak tree from my bedroom window

Blacklace sambucus

Iris

Castor bean has large reddish leaves, though I am not sure if this is all of them or a particular selection. It's an annual and quite toxic if eaten if that might be of concern.

I do have a Ninebark 'Summer Seward's Wine' which I'm crazy about.
It has brown foliage and pink flowers. It is pest and disease tolerant,
It seems to take whatever comes and shrugs it off. I love it's fountain
shape. I love how you can cut it back to the ground if you want to
and it just springs right back up. It's also drought tolerant.

I enjoy dark foliage sedums. I have had 'Matrona' and 'Purple Emperor'
I have had two issues with them. One is that the 'Purple Emperor'
flops open in the middle without enough sun and two, by late in the
summer, some of the leaves can look pretty ratty.
Right now I have two Dark Sedums in a full sun bed that are looking
better than I've ever seen them. They almost have a ruby glow along
the edges of the leaves. I can't figure out if it is the 'Purple Emperor'
or the 'Matrona'. But I'm going to try to get them through to August
without ratty leaves. Maybe pull some off as they deteriorate.

Another vote for Hibiscus 'Kopper King'. A standout.

Weigela 'Wine and Roses' is a new favorite. Pretty brown foliage
with pretty deep pink flowers. Can't wait for it to get larger.

A tomato? ...well, sure.....'Black Cherry' is a very pretty tomato with
a nice dark color to it, but, I don't enjoy the taste as much as others.

I love dark flowered Hellebores, but haven't got one yet.

Now that I know I can grow them sucessfully I will buy more this Fall.

It is so interesting to read these lists.

I have Sedum Purple Emperor and Nandina domestica 'Firepower', but they never have a bold dark red color for me. I did not include them into my list.

Iresine is stunning, but I believe it is annual for most of us...

Marquest and prairiemoon2,
I am surprised that you had trouble growing Hellebores and Sambucus. Both were absolutely easy to grow for me. Maybe, you should give them another try? I highly recommend them:

Sambucus Black Lace (on the right side of the gazebo, in bloom)

Dark Hellebore - a bit faded, but still nice. (on the back, behind the double white one)

And a really cool Asiatic Lily 'Black Out'

Yes, everyone's photos are so interesting. I love those Cherry Jubilee Heucheras. I want a 'Royal Purple' Smokebush.

alina, very pretty double Hellebore. I did have both the gold and the dark leaved Sambucus and enjoyed them and then they just deteriorated for me until I yanked them out. I only had part sun to offer them, and not sure if that made the difference. Not sure I'd try them again, but maybe. Yours is a very healthy looking specimen!

I am a big fan of Hellebores. I spent much more on doubles, but I do not regret - they are stunning. Love the contrast with the dark single ones:

I wish I had more space in my garden for all these fantastic dark shrubs and perennials...

Prairiemoon...here is a better, more true to color of the Cherries Jubilee Heuchera that you like.

And I think you just made me buy that Copper King hibiscus. Not fair - I was going to downsize my plantings :o)

Gazania, I am blown away with your garden and your pictures - as always :) (saying a mantra 'I do not need more Heucheras... I do not need more Heucheras...)

alina, the Hellebores really do get larger than I expected. You seem to have positioned them with plenty of room, which is great. They really are one of my favorite plants.

That Kopper King Hibiscus, I bought in 2009 and that photo was taken in 2010. I don't have a photo from last year but I think it was even better. I was hoping to see lots of shoots coming up this year, but so far, it looks the same size. But here is a photo of the plant when I bought it in October, with it's fall color. I have not had that great color since it was planted though. This is year three for me, so that will be the test.

Prairiemoon, Cheries Jubilee would be considered in full sun. They are on the East side of the house and get sun from sun up till about 1:30. The soil there is ammended but still has a fair amount of clay. I bought just one plant 11 years ago. I have divided till I now have 5 clumps there in front of the porch. Have not divided any in the last 6 years and the clumps have grown to about 20 to 24 inches wide. The flowering has always been impressive and begins in late May.. lasts till mid July.

Purple/bronze foliage is a major theme in my tropical/mixed bed. The three standout backbone plants are barberry cultivars (including "Helmond Pillar" and a tall variety with horizontal interwoven stems), Cotinus "Royal Purple" and best of all, Physocarpus "Diablo". "Diablo" is putting on its one-week flowering show right now, but its major role is as a superb foliage backdrop for other flowering plants. It is basically bulletproof, needing only occasional pruning to control size (it wants to be massive).

Purple/bronze foliage annuals this year include Cannas "Australia" and "Firebird", Celosia "New Look", Begonia "Big" (bronze-leaf form), Alternanthera "Little Ruby" and Canna "Tropical Red" (bronze-leaf variety).

And yes, red/scarlet flowers are important too.

You know how it goes - I was going to order Hakonechloa 'Fubuki' from Romence Gardens. Then, to make shipping cost more effective, I ordered 3 more plants - Heuchera 'Cajun Fire', Heucherella 'Brass Lantern', and a hibiscus...

Now, I will have to figure out where to squeeze them in the garden...

Alina, a new Copper King, I hope you enjoy it! Look forward to photos.