The Top 10 Best Dark Houseplants

If you are a Halloween lover, or even just love the aesthetic of dark houseplants, you’ve come to the right place! Dark houseplants can be some of the most beautiful plants around. Whether you’re a fan of the spooky season, enjoy a little gothic chic aesthetic, or if you are just looking to add some beautiful dark plants to your houseplant collection, there are many to choose from. Here, we will explore some of the best dark houseplants with something wonderfully dark for every plant collector!

Are Dark Houseplants Harder To Care For?

Despite their “intimidating” or “spooky” appearance, not all dark houseplants are difficult to care for, and most are not incredibly rare or difficult to find. Dark leaves enable the plant to tolerate medium to lower light environments, as they have plenty of chlorophyll in the leaves. Depending on the genus of houseplant, some dark plants may have more complex watering needs or require higher humidity, but this has more to do with the composition of the leaf than it has to do with the colour itself. Most of these houseplants are still in fact green, but the are such a dark pigment of green that they appear to be black or dark.

1. ZZ Raven

We can’t have a list of dark houseplants without including the iconic zz raven! Belonging to the Zamioculcas zamiifolia family, zz plants are renowned for being easy to care for and pest resistant. This dark version of the classic green zz stands up well with the rest of the zz family, although it tends to be a bit slower to grow. New growth emerges as a bright lime green colour, and then the leaves slowly turn into a nearly dark black colour over time.

2. Alocasia Black Velvet

Dark, velvety, and stunning! Alocasia Black Velvet are a great choice if you love the Alocasia Silver Dragon or the Alocasia Dragon Scale. Once quite difficult to get a hold of, Alocasia Black Velvet has now thankfully become much more available and more affordable too! This one is definitely a must have for dark houseplant lovers!

3. Calathea Ornata

The calathea ornata, also known as the calathea “pinstripe”, is one of the best dark houseplants for calathea lovers who also enjoy a touch of blushy pink in their plants. Dark, striking and ornate leaves with dark purple backing. These calathea are tolerant of low light, prefer higher humidity and moist soil. If you’d like to learn more about calathea, check out Calathea 101.

4. Peperomia Metallica

Peperomia lovers, YES! There is a fantastic dark plant for you as well. Peperomia Metallica is a compact, earthy dark brown variety that is nearly black in colour, with red undersides to their leaves, making them a great choice for the spooky season. If you want to learn more about peperomia care, check out Peperomia 101.

5. Alocasia Polly

If you’re looking for one of the best spooky-looking dark houseplants out there, the Alocasia Polly is a must! Stunning dark leaves with a unique shape and structure, this plant is absolutely mesmerizing, and certainly underrated and underappreciated, likely due to being very easy to find.

6. Ficus Elastica Burgundy

It may be known as the Burgundy Rubber Tree, but its large dark leaves make these one of the best dark houseplants. Rubber Tree plants are quite easy to care for, have excellent structure with a very tree-like appearance. They make excellent plants for collectors, or even to use as decor in a modern-style home.

7. Philodendron Micans

Another one of the best dark houseplants out there, particularly if you are a fan of the velvet-y leaves. Philodendron micans is a gorgeous trailing houseplant with dark green, velvet leaves with red backing. These are absolutely stunning plants that are a favourite among many plant collectors. The best part is that they tend to grow quite quickly and they have relatively uncomplicated care needs!

8. Calathea Dottie

Another one of my personal favourite dark houseplants! This is another one for the calathea lovers. This calathea is more challenging to care for than the ornata, for example, but the leaves are absolutely stunning! They have a thin, nearly hot pink pattern in the dark leaves with the classic deep purple backing. If calathea care is a little too intimidating but you’d love to give this plant a try, here are some secrets to growing beautiful calathea that no one is telling you about!

9. Philodendron Dark Lord

Now this philodendron is on my wish list! This is one of the most stunning dark houseplants out there with large, arrow-shaped leaves that begins almost reddish orange and then darken to a supremely dark green colour. These houseplants are great for the rare plant collectors as with a love for the best dark houseplants…if you can find them!

10. Peperomia Caperata Luna Red

Closing off the list of the best dark houseplants, we have a much more available, but certainly underrated dark and gorgeous peperomia. The peperomia caperata luna red, or sometimes called burgundy ripple, boasts a range of dark green and purple colours. These houseplants are very low light tolerant, have easy care needs and they are also easy to find.

Which one of these dark houseplants are your favourite to help you get in the mood for the spooky season, or any season?

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