Black flowers add this specific touch of goth when they are used, as black is quite an unusual colour for flowers. Therefore, it’s essential to know more about black flowers if you want to use them in arrangements, bouquets and decoration for various occasions.
Black represents the negation of color: it is the ultimate choice for clothes when we want to be formal, stylish, sexy or mysterious. Because of its shrinking effect it is often chosen exactly for that purpose, but when it is near other colours it allows them to stand out. Black has always been referred to as the color of death, grief and sadness, particularly according to European culture. However, in Asian cultures, it has a positive meaning. For example, black kimonos represent good luck. We cannot encounter black in nature, but we usually connect it to the night and the deep waters. In feng shui, this is the colour of sophistication, as well as mystery; it is associated with water and with feminine energy.
The Meaning of Black Flowers
Black flowers are either natural or tinted, although the ones we see as natural are in fact in a very dark shade of maroon, purple or burgundy. Despite all efforts, black flowers cannot be made in practice. As the colour black symbolizes death and departure, it’s best not to give such flowers to people you love, especially black roses, as they convey a message of farewell and a break-up. Black flowers can be used in memorial services as a representation of mourning the loss of a person. However, black is also the ultimate color of power and elegance. Thus, a bouquet of black calla lilies, for instance, can be a fine companion to pearls or gold jewellery.
Arrangements with Black Flowers
Florists don’t often use black flowers in floral arrangements and bouquets, as this can be considered rather eccentric and unusual. However, a creative piece of floral arrangement can consist of a few black flowers for some added elegance and mystery, if that’s what the client wants. If you browse online flower shops you’ll rarely find bouquets of black flowers, but you can get a custom-made one in a floral shop. One way to arrange black flowers, so they don’t look too sinister, is in a combination with yellow ones. Thus, the bright colour will be highlighted even more. Another combination is black with deep purple or black with emerald green or ruby red. There are plenty of combinations which can easily turn the black flower into an interesting addition to a typical bouquet.
Types of Flowers in Black
You are probably at a loss when you hear that there are black flowers, so here is a list of the ones you can get:
• Black Lily: The most popular types you can find are: Black Jack lily, Black Spider, Black Beauty lily (in black-red) and Asiatic lily (in white and black).
• Black Calla Lilies: These are often referred to as the “blackest” flowers in nature. They can be found in the shades of dark maroon, dark burgundy and eggplant.
• Black Orchid: The shades vary between dark tones of maroon, burgundy and purple.
• Black Rose: It comes in the darkest burgundy, but our eyes see this as black. It symbolizes death or tragedy, but it also represents strength and devotion and it is used as a flower for saying “farewell”.
• Black Tulip: Even though hybridizers aren’t able to produce a truly black pigmented tulip, there are plenty of species that appear black and are used in bouquets.
• Black Carnation: this flower was obtained by mixing dark red and blue carnations and the black type is called ‘Moonshadow’. The message it conveys is death and mourning.
