19 Black Succulents for a Dramatic Goth Garden

There are various reasons why black leaves and black flowers are so rare, most of which concern botanical science.

In flowers, for example, black is the least likely to attract pollinators. As we know, a plant species has one primary objective: to produce more of the same plants. One way to do that is to produce brightly colored flowers to attract pollinators so the plants can set viable seed.

For humans, because black plants are so rare, they are like magnets for growers and gardeners.

In green plants, chlorophyll – the green pigment – uses photosynthesis to help plants grow. In darker plants, the concentration of secondary pigments like anthocyanins (the color in blackberries) is much higher, causing the plant to appear blacker.

If you want to add some drama to your garden or jump in on the goth garden trend, these black succulents are the perfect way to do it.

Aeonium Medusa

	botanical name Aeonium ‘Medusa’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 18″
	hardiness zones 9-11

A rarer aeonium that has black variations on bright pink-red pointy leaves. The rosettes sit on fleshy stems that form clumps like a small shrublet. The color of the leaves will be more intense with more sun exposure, making the bands in the center of the leaves black.

This plant forms offsets that can be trimmed and planted to make more plants. ‘Medusa’ prefers more water than other succulents, but ensure the soil drains well and avoid overwatering, which could lead to root rot.

Anacampseros

	botanical name Anacampseros rufescens
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-4″
	hardiness zones 9-11

This small black succulent with thick fleshy leaves is a slowly creeping variety that is usually green but gets darker as it is exposed to more sunlight, becoming reddish brown to purple and black. It has tiny white hairs between the leaves that help the plant trap water from the air, making it intensely drought-tolerant.

It produces long stalks about four inches tall of pink to purple flowers that open only on sunny days. If not overwatered, it makes an excellent potted plant.

Black Haworthia

	botanical name Haworthiopsis nigra
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 3-5″
	hardiness zones 10-11

This small black succulent is like a miniature aloe. Its green-to-black leaves have distinctive white bumps on the surface. The leaves emerge from the center of the plant and grow upwards in a stack.

Stalks of small white flowers appear in spring and summer. This plant is quite rare, but it’s easy to propagate from offsets if you find one. Care for these just as you would for aloes, and never overwater them.

Black Hens and Chicks

	botanical name Sempervivum ‘Black Top’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 4-6″
	hardiness zones 3-8

These attractive houseleeks are a stunning black and dark green combo that, like any hen and chick, forms new little plantlets all the time. The thin, pointy leaves form a rosette that darkens in color as the weather gets colder.

They quickly cover an area, making them great pot specimens and garden ground covers. They are super easy plants, needing only the occasional watering, well-draining sandy soil, and plenty of sunshine. This one is cold-hardy, unlike most of the succulents on this list.

Black Knight Echeveria

	botanical name Echeveria ‘Black Knight’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 6″
	hardiness zones 9-11

This succulent has really dark leaves, making it one of the blackest varieties in the succulent section of plants. It forms rosettes on small stems with upright, longer, thin leaves. In the summer, long stems will sport scarlet and green bell-shaped flowers that reach up to six inches tall.

These are easy to grow and propagate from leaf cuttings. Remove the lower leaves when they die to avoid most pests and diseases.

Black Prince Echeveria

	botanical name Echeveria ‘Black Prince’
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 6-8″
	hardiness zones 10-11

A cross between Echeveria shaviana and Echeveria affinis resulted in the prince of echeverias ‘Black Prince’. It has an iconic echeveria shape with dark green to black leaves that have a point at the end. As they grow, the plant produces new babies with offsets that form in clumps on thick stems for a gothic display that is popular in containers and rock gardens.

This plant is often used to create a bit of drama or contrast in a garden bed. The more sun it gets, the bolder the foliage color. It produces pretty and contrasting bell-shaped red flowers in late fall and winter.

Black Queen Echeveria

	botanical name Echeveria ‘Black Queen’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2″
	hardiness zones 10-11

‘Black Queen’ is a rare, small echeveria bred in Korea. It has thick, pointy leaves ranging in color from dark red to dark green and black depending on how much sunlight it’s given and the seasons.

Water this black succulent only when the soil is dry, and make sure the soil drains well. It is not easy to find, but it is sometimes available from online stores.

Black Rose Aeonium

	botanical name Aeonium arboreum ‘Zwartkop’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-4′
	hardiness zones 9-11

‘Zwartkop’ is award-winning and one of the most popular black succulents. It is a dark burgundy to black succulent, with pointed leaves in a rosette form that makes a striking display in the garden and in containers. The colors will change slightly in shade to a reddish color with green centers, which is equally attractive.

These easy-to-care-for succulent plants are enhanced by the star-shaped golden racemes of flowers that appear in spring. The rosettes form on thick, fleshy stems and have a shrub-like habit, standing tall in rock gardens and containers.

Black Rose Echeveria

	botanical name Echeveria ‘Black Rose’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5″
	hardiness zones 10-11

This is a similar echeveria in the group of black succulent varieties to others but with a tinge of green radiated from the inside out on the leaves. The rosettes are made up of thick fat leaves that form a compact fleshy circle.

These echeverias are easy to care for as long as they get enough sunlight and well-draining sandy soil. Avoid overwatering and allow them to dry out completely before watering.

Black-Spined Prickly Pear

	botanical name Opuntia macrocentra
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 2-3′
	hardiness zones 6-11

This interesting prickly pear appears black due to its threatening black spines covering the oval-shaped leaf segments, with the majority on the edges. It is no wonder that this plant is often used to keep animals from roaming. The whole plant will turn darker in cooler weather and then green up when it gets warmer.

It’s a low-maintenance plant that is a good specimen for xeriscaped gardens but beware of the sharp spikes.

Chinese Jade

	botanical name Sinocrassula yunnanensis
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-5″
	hardiness zones 9-10

A small succulent with little droplets of fleshy leaves that form in a rosette. The color of the leaves can go from grey to black depending on the season and the amount of sunlight it gets. It’s a pretty clump-forming succulent that works well in a low-maintenance garden and in containers.

In the fall and early winter, spikes of yellow to green flowers from the center of the rosette expand into a tree shape. Each of these offsets can be used to propagate more plants.

Dark Beauty Hens and Chicks

	botanical name Sempervivum ‘Dark Beauty’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-6″
	hardiness zones 5-10

This sempervivum deserves a mention for its dark-colored foliage with a burgundy-red tinge. The oval leaves with the pointy edges form rosettes of leaves on short stems. They clump together and will grow new plants from those that die after flowering, keeping the species going.

In summer, they have pink or yellow flowers. They prefer well-draining sandy soil with some organic material added for nutrition and occasional watering.

Dyckia Black

	botanical name Dyckia ‘Black Gold’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 1-2′
	hardiness zones 9-11

Like any bromeliad, this dark brooding, spiky succulent stores water in a central reservoir, so it’s considered a false succulent or semi-succulent. It has to be on this list because of the striking black, spiky foliage in a rosette form. The white spines on the margins of the leaves stand out against the jet-black color of the foliage.

Dyckias form little offsets that can be removed and planted to create more plants. They are not fussy and easy to grow, with a little neglect going a long way.

Haworthia Marxii

	botanical name Haworthia marxii
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 4″
	hardiness zones 10-11

This is a rare haworthia with very dark leaves and tiny white stripes in a rosette that looks quite flat on the ground. It has green flowers on a stem that can reach two feet tall in summer. Being a rare specimen plant, it is most often grown in pots in a collection of succulents.

Like many black succulents, this one prefers warmer weather, although it can tolerate temperatures down to 30°F (-1°C). However, it does so only when the soil is dry and even less in cooler weather.

Haworthia Splendens

	botanical name Haworthia splendens
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-5″
	hardiness zones 10-11

The fat triangular leaves form a rosette in this flat black succulent. Its surface is mottled, with some being very dark to black on a lighter background. A flower stalk emerges from the center, reaching up to 16 inches tall. At the top, a cluster of white flowers with green throats is formed.

Although slow-growing, they form clusters, and the mother plants send offsets, which can then be propagated into new pots.

Haworthiopsis Sordida

	botanical name Haworthiopsis sordida
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 4″
	hardiness zones 10-11

The long, curved, succulent leaves of this species have ridges and markings that resemble the talons of a prehistoric animal. They are unusual and can appear in colors from green to black. They prefer a sheltered, partially shaded position and thus make ideal indoor pot plants with enough bright light and minimal watering.

In late winter to early summer, long stalks appear that carry small white flowers. They require little but well-draining sandy soil and warm temperatures.

Mangave ‘Mission to Mars’

	botanical name Mangave ‘Mission to Mars’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 8-10″
	hardiness zones 8-10

A mangave is a cross between a manfreda and an agave, which means they have the best of each genus. The patterns like the former genus Manfreda and the growth habit of the agave make ‘Mission to Mars’ a beautiful outwardly curved rosette of long spiky leaves in a dark purple color.

They make excellent pot plants that cascade over the sides of the container. The brighter the sun, the darker this black succulent gets.

Mangave ‘Tooth Fairy’

	botanical name Mangave ‘Tooth Fairy’
	sun requirements Full sun
	height 10-12″
	hardiness zones 9-11

This mangave differs slightly from the ‘Mission to Mars’ in that the leaves are an undulating rosette rather than straight and curved. It has a beautiful form that works very well in a container. The color covers the spectrum from olive green to dark black.

These drought-tolerant varieties are fast-growing and architectural for the garden landscape as a feature plant.

Uebelmannia Pectinifera

	botanical name Uebelmannia pectinifera
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 18-30″
	hardiness zones 10-11

What is known as a globular cactus has the iconic shape of a round blob of fleshy succulence and ribs topped with little spines. This is a rare black succulent that, in the shade, will have more green color with white stripes down the length of the ribs and, in full sun, will turn dark purple and black.

At its mature size, this cactus can reach 30 inches tall, but it will take a very long time to reach that height and width. Most of the plants to add to a succulent collection will be very small. In spring and summer, it will produce funnel-shaped yellow-green flowers.