17 Deep and Moody Roses For a Dramatic Garden

Moon gardens filled with glowing white blooms have been popular for a while. But what if your tastes run a bit…darker? Deep and intense colors are back in a big way, with many gardeners seeking plants that have nearly black foliage and blooms. While no roses are truly black, some come close with inky shades of crimson, burgundy, and purple.

Why the popularity of dark colors in the garden? Aside from their individual intrigue and appeal, dark shades in the garden provide an eye-catching contrast to lighter hues, making all of your plants stand out.

When you grow roses in deeper colors, you get the perfect mix of style and elegance. Deep shades have an air of sophistication and elegance that pastels can’t match.

So if you’re craving some moody drama or a bit of gothic ambiance, this article’s for you. We’ll talk about 17 of the most gorgeous rose varieties for your dramatic garden, with names and pictures of each!

‘Munstead Wood’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Munstead Wood’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 3’ – 4’
	hardiness zones 6-11

‘Munstead Wood’ is one of the darkest roses available. Its petals are an irresistible velvety crimson. An English rose from David Austin, this variety has deeply cupped blooms and loads of Old World-style charm.

As the blooms age, they fade to an even darker purple. The color is accented by an award-winning fragrance reminiscent of crushed berries.

‘Munstead Wood’ is named for the atmospheric home of English gardener Gertrude Jekyll. Tried and true, it’s a Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient. It’s resistant to rust, powdery mildew, and black spot. The number one must-have for deep red color!

‘Burgundy Iceberg’

	botanical name Rosa ‘PROse Burgundy Iceberg’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 5’ – 6’
	hardiness zones 6-10

One of my personal favorites. My kids call this “The Beauty and The Beast Rose” for its enchanting form and colors. ‘Burgundy Iceberg’ has deep violet-wine petals accented by a creamy reverse, creating depth to magical effect.

‘Burgundy’ is a spontaneous mutation of the famously floriferous ‘Iceberg.’ Just like its parent, ‘Burgundy’ is everblooming with repeat, lavish clusters all summer.  A midsize shrub at 6 feet tall, the delicate beauty of this rose is highlighted by thin, graceful canes.

‘Burgundy Iceberg’ is an even deeper purple in colder weather. When the flowers fully open, they reveal nearly black stamens. You can’t beat it for gorgeous and moody color!

‘Black Pearl’

	botanical name Rosa ‘DELurt’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 3’ – 4’
	hardiness zones 6-10

‘Black Pearl’ is a classically formed hybrid tea rose with exhibition-quality blooms. The interior petals are scarlet, with a deeper crimson reverse, highlighting its fully double petals. Over time, they look edged in black.

This is a complete compliment magnet and makes stunning bouquets. Cut stems just as buds are beginning to open for a long-lasting display worth of a florist’s window.

While the fragrance is mild, ‘Black Pearl’ has highly fragrant ‘Papa Meilland’ as a parent, and traces of its highly prized perfume can be detected on sunny days. It sometimes struggles with black spot, so make sure to water at the root level rather than overhead to avoid wet foliage and subsequent fungal disease. 

‘Burlesque’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Burlesque’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 3’ – 4’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Designers know that dark colors next to light yields major impact, and supremely stylish ‘Burlesque’ provides all the dramatic contrast in one plant. Showy flowers in rich magenta are striped with a paler fuschia, an unusual and beautiful combination.

‘Burlesque’ has clusters of deep blooms that appear in flushes throughout the summer. It’s a fairly tidy and compact shrub, making it a good candidate for containers.

This variety tolerates partial shade. It makes an excellent cut flower and will fill your room with exotic, feminine perfume.

‘Twilight Zone’

	botanical name Rosa ‘WEKebtidere’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 3’ – 5’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Deep and dusky ‘Twilight Zone’ has large, velvety magenta and purple blooms and forest green foliage. It performs pretty well even in dappled shade, turning gloomy corners into an inviting focal point.

A perfect cutting rose, ‘Twilight Zone’ has a luscious spiced citrus fragrance and a long vase life. It repeat-flowers during the season with clusters of large double blooms that will keep you coming back for more.

‘Twilight Zone’ is a stellar grandiflora with good health and unrivaled color. It has an attractive upright growth habit.  It looks incredible en masse or interplanted with cream and apricot flowers.

‘Soncy’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Soncy’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 3’ – 5’
	hardiness zones 7-11

This white-blooming rose is unexpected in the dark and moody category but hear me out. Instead of dark blooms, ‘Soncy’ has gorgeous deep green foliage that begins nearly black, with hints of aubergine. The pretty double tea rose blooms lend it the ultimate show of light and dark.

The canes are deep rust red, too, making ‘Soncy’ a tempting contender for a dramatic garden. To add to the moody appeal, ‘Soncy’ is one of the “Bermuda Mystery Roses.” It was discovered on the island, but its origin remains unknown.

‘Soncy’s’ double blooms sometimes lean pale yellow and look striking against its dark foliage. It’s great for warm and humid climates, resists disease, and never balls in the rain. It has a lovely tea rose scent.

‘Minerva’

	botanical name Rosa ‘VISancar’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 3’ – 4’
	hardiness zones 6-10

Named for the Roman Goddess of Wisdom, ‘Minerva’ is a tantalizing shade of deep violet. Buds begin a dark burgundy and open to fully-double ruffled flowers.

‘Minerva’s’ foliage is pleasing olive green. As the blooms mature, they fade to an interesting gray-blue with a cream-flecked center.

This variety is a great producer, with plenty of large flower clusters appearing from spring through frost. It’s highly fragrant. While slightly susceptible to fungal issues, good air circulation, lots of sun, and deep, infrequent watering keep it looking healthy and full.

‘Black Magic’

	botanical name Rosa ‘TANkalcig’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 5’ – 7’
	hardiness zones 7-9

‘Black Magic’s’ almost black buds are prized by florists in fall arrangements. The pointed ebony buds look dramatic alongside open crimson flowers on the medium-sized shrub.

As the flowers mature, they are mottled with ebony and look too perfect to be real. Easily grown in pots or in the border, you will want to make this plant a focal point.

Create a dramatic scene by pairing ‘Black Magic’ with ‘Black Night’ Hollyhock and ‘Mournful Widow’ scabiosa. Whether in a bouquet or the garden, this rose turns heads. 

‘Abracadabra’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Abracadabra’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 2’ – 3’
	hardiness zones 6-10

Does your garden need a little magic? Try the unusual and nearly thornless ‘Abracadabra’, which intrigues with dark russet blooms and lemony yellow stripes. This variety makes unforgettable bouquets and has a faint butterscotch scent when warmed by the sun. 

‘Abracadabra’ is a floribunda, meaning it blooms in large clusters of flowers, spring through fall. It’s a showy shrub with multicolored rose petals that never fails to draw attention.

Keep the russet and yellow look going with ‘Lionheart’ Asiatic lilies, or highlight the dark red with chocolate cosmos and ‘Black Narcissus’ dahlias. This rose is a stunner in any scene.

‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’

	botanical name Rosa ‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 5’ – 10’
	hardiness zones 4-10

‘Souvenir du Docteur Jamain’ is a hardy hybrid perpetual rose popular in the Victorian era. It’s dark violet to port wine red with deeply cupped, petal-packed blooms.

 True to its perpetual heritage, ‘Souvenir’ is a great rebloomer with lavish fragrance. It actually performs best in the shade, which preserves its stunning dark color.

This variety is a mannerly climber that can reach up to 10 feet tall. Train it up a north-facing wall for a gorgeous display through the summer months. Almost thorn-free canes make it easy to handle. This is an antique rose that looks remarkable in modern gardens.

‘The Dark Lady’

	botanical name Rosa ‘AUSbloom’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 3’ – 4’
	hardiness zones 5-10

‘The Dark Lady’ brings drama to the cottage garden. This rose has ruffled, old-fashioned blooms in dusky garnet. It’s a perfect landscape plant that stays compact and mingles well in the border due to its graceful habit and lots of bushy foliage.

‘The Dark Lady’ makes us swoon with intoxicating damask perfume. Its blooms are large and sometimes mistaken for peonies!

Inspired by Shakespeare’s sonnets, ‘The Dark Lady’ is a stunning addition to a dark-colored flowerbed. It grows somewhat slowly but will develop into a stunning specimen over time.

‘Rosa Glauca’

	botanical name Rosa rubrifolia
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 6’ – 12’
	hardiness zones 2-9

Here’s another unexpected candidate for your dark and dramatic flower garden. While the simple open blooms are a soft pink, the foliage of wild ‘Rosa Glauca’ is a striking burgundy and deep blue-green.

This wild rose native to Central Europe is highly ornamental and stunning all year. In late fall, The blooms are replaced by deep red hips that last into winter.

‘Rosa Glauca’ won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. It’s a beautiful landscape bush that needs room to spread. It performs well in sun and shade and is a perfect perennial complement to dark-blooming plants.

‘Black Baccara’

	botanical name Rosa ‘MEIdebenne’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 3’ – 6’
	hardiness zones 5-9

The noteworthy ‘Black Baccara’ has deep oxblood blooms. While not truly black, the blooms are a favorite among fans of dark roses for its high tea form, and velvety petals edged in charcoal red.  

‘Black Baccara’ performs best in arid, hot summers. In humid climates, it’s somewhat prone to black spot and powdery mildew. If you just can’t resist its swarthy aesthetic and have the wrong climate, be prepared to baby it a bit!

A florist favorite for its long graceful stems, ‘Black Baccara’ will last nearly two weeks in arrangements. This is an excellent container plant. Try it with chartreuse companion plants like ‘Lemon Coral’ sedum or creeping jenny for eye-catching allure.

‘Dark Night’

	botanical name Rosa ‘MEIrysset’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 4’ – 6’
	hardiness zones 9-11

‘Dark Night’ is a bicolor rose with intense burgundy-red petals and a golden reverse. As it ages, the red grows even deeper, approaching a smoky black.

This variety has perfect single hybrid tea blooms on long stems. It’s great in bouquets. Unfortunately, it’s not winter hardy and will only thrive in warm climates. Made for the sun, it holds its color even under scorching rays.

‘Dark Night’ is a generous bloomer with rich green glossy foliage in the right conditions. Though somewhat fussy, this handsome rose is worth pampering if you love its unusual color combination.

‘Ebb Tide’

	botanical name Rosa ‘WEKsmopur’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun-Part Shade
	height 6’ – 10’
	hardiness zones 5-9

Relative to the equally captivating ‘Twilight Zone,’ ‘Ebb Tide’ is a delightful smoky plum flower producer. It has big double flowers and reliable rebloom all season.

A winner of several fragrance awards, ‘Ebb Tide’ will reel you in with a delicious clove and lemon scent. You’ll want to cut stems and bring this rose inside for the fragrance alone!

In the first year, blooms may have more pink and reddish tones. Be patient, and the moody purple hues will take over in maturity.  Easy to manage and disease-resistant, ‘Ebb Tide’ is a popular choice in a rare color.

‘Diamond Eyes’

	botanical name Rosa ‘WEKwibypur’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 1’ – 3’
	hardiness zones 4-10

Do you have limited space? Tuck miniature ‘Diamond Eyes’ into a small bed or glam up your patio with pots to show off this inky maroon rose.

Deep fuschia blooms accented with a white eye age to nearly black in the sun. Mini roses like ‘Diamond Eyes’ look delicate, but this variety is actually hardy to -25 ℉! They are also handily versatile and will work as a ground cover when several are planted together.

 Hard to find in a miniature rose, ‘Diamond Eyes’ boasts an outstanding scent. It smells like cloves and cinnamon. Consider using it at the foot of taller roses to mask leggy canes.

‘Dark Desire’

	botanical name Rosa ‘KORdiagraf’
	plant type Perennial
	sun requirements Full Sun
	height 3’ – 4’
	hardiness zones 5-9

‘Dark Desire,’ from the Kordes ParfumaⓇ series, has an intriguing honey myrrh scent and onyx buds. As they open, blooms become brilliant fuschia in the center, with darker purple outer rose petals.

This is a romantic rose. In summer, it’s covered with large, full blooms on a vigorous and healthy shrub. A winner of multiple prestigious awards, including first prize at the Grand Prix de la Rose in France, you can trust that ‘Desire’ is a worthy investment.

Because the blooms are large and old-fashioned, it tends to ball in the rain. Erect a temporary cover for it before a storm, or keep it in a pot to facilitate moving to shelter. ‘Dark Desire’ is a swoon-worthy specimen you won’t mind protecting!