Are you planning to create a very unusual, impressive and eye-catchy garden? Why don’t you try growing black vegetables? Aside from being unique, they also contain high nutrients which are advantageous to your health.
Planting black vegetables for your garden is similar to growing other kinds of plants. They need basic care, such as having sufficient sunlight, air, and rich soil, for them to grow and germinate.
The following is a list of black vegetables that you can grow in your own garden. Try these and you will see their uniqueness.
- 16 Black Vegetables For Your Garden
- 1. Black Beauty Tomatoes
- 2. Black Hungarian Pepper
- 3. Black Magic Kale
- 4. Black "Noir Gros RondD'hiver" Radish
- 5. Black Nebula Carrot
- 6. Black Salsify
- 7. Dakota Black Corn
- 8. Zea Mays “Maiz Morado” Black Corn (Purple Corn)
- 9. Purple Asparagus
- 10. Purple Lady Bok Choy
- 11. Purple Potato
- 12. Purple TeePee French Beans
- 13. Purple Yam (Ube)
- 14. Syrian Stuffing Eggplant
- 15. Thai Kang Kob Pumpkin
- 16. Tiny Coban Tomatillo
- Conclusion
16 Black Vegetables For Your Garden
1. Black Beauty Tomatoes
Black beauty tomatoes are fair scrumptious. Beyond any doubt, they’re stuffed with cancer prevention agents. The development of this vegetable (botanically fruit) is unbelievably superb. It is very easy to care and grow with just a few seedlings.
2. Black Hungarian Pepper
For pepper poppers, why not try growing black Hungarian peppers in your garden? This kind of pepper has wonderful purple flowers that can surely turn your garden look very exquisite. Those flowers bloom and then turn into fruits.
The plant grows about 36 inches tall and its fruit yields 4 inches to 6 inches, which matures from 70 to 90 days. What’s good about this is that it has a delightful flavor and not so hot. It is best combined in salad or fresh salsa.
3. Black Magic Kale
This unusual type of kale lacinato originated from Tuscany. It is blue-green in color but shows up dark in circuitous light.
How ravishing would this be when served in mixed greens or with other dark vegetables and berries hurled in the bowl? You may add this among the black vegetables for your garden.
4. Black “Noir Gros RondD’hiver” Radish
This vegetable or herb is synonymous to raphanus sativus or the common red radish. It has a unique appearance because its outside skin is black but has a snowy-white flesh.
This plant has a size of 5 inches and matures quickly just over a month. To guarantee its rapid growth, the soil must be kept moist and needed to be grown steadily.
It can grow in different types of soil such as loam, sand, chalk, and even clay. For light condition, it needs full or partial sun. Harvesting the radish too late makes it woody. Regardless, this can be eaten raw or cooked.
5. Black Nebula Carrot
This kind of carrot is obviously different because of its color. It is one among the darkest black vegetables for your garden. Both the outer part and inner portion are dark, although it is tasteful whether raw or cooked. For those who want a black juice, this is perfect.
If you want a twist, just add some lemonade to your juice and it turns pinkish. Despite its black color, it is high in anthocyanin, which is a known substance to help prevent certain serious illnesses including cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
6. Black Salsify
Having a scientific name of scorzonera hispanica and belonging to a family of Asteraceae, black salsify is a great plant to choose. In fact, its roots, leaves, and flowers are all edible and delish. This vegetable plant loves cool weather, so fall is a great time to sow it.
It is also called super food because it is rich in vitamins and minerals that the human body needs. Other aids that you can get from this plant include boosting the immune system, reducing hair fall, increasing metabolism, improving digestion, helping maintain strong bone tissues to prevent osteoporosis, regulating abnormal blood pressure, normalizing blood sugar levels, preventing skin aging and fighting cancer. This is what makes it more special compared to other black vegetables for your garden.
7. Dakota Black Corn
Corn lovers but don’t have enough space for your corn? Well, that’s not a problem at all because there’s a way that you can still grow them in containers – introducing the Dakota black corn.
When this plant matures, it produces an enticing deep dark kernel. It can be cooked in different ways: steamed, boiled, grilled, or even roasted. If ground, it can be used for cornbread, roti bread for Indians, and even tortillas.
Black corn demands warm temperatures to vegetate and grow. It blooms in tropical climates with modest to large amounts of raindrops.
If you want a twist for your Halloween party or decoration, you can also use this. Such black vegetables for your garden can be also used more than just a part of a home meal.
8. Zea Mays “Maiz Morado” Black Corn (Purple Corn)
Clearly this can be the darkest corn you’ll develop, but is scrumptious. It develops tall up to 8 feet, so it requires a parcel of cultivated space to grow it. It’s from the Andes, and a drink made from it was utilized ceremonially by the Incans.
Eye-catching purple corn contains an assortment of phytonutrients (plant supplements), which include phenolics, anthocyanins and other anti-oxidants.
9. Purple Asparagus
Belonging to an herbaceous, perennial plant, purple asparagus grows like the green and white asparagus. The difference is that this dark variety contains a higher level of anti-oxidants.
It is also more tasteful, milder, and sweeter. But like other varieties, it can be eaten either raw or cooked.
Like some black vegetables for your garden, this can be grown from seeds or crowns. Growing from seeds needs a longer time which takes 3 years before harvesting.
On the other hand, planting the crowns requires you to wait for 2 years to be ready for harvest. This thrives in a cool weather.
10. Purple Lady Bok Choy
Add the dark variety of bok choy among the black vegetables for your garden. This is not only easy to grow but also fun to harvest as it provides flavonoids. You can prepare any salad dish and mix this with the common leafy greens.
11. Purple Potato
This kind of potato is from tuber plants that originated from South America. It is also called blue potato and is considered as the stunning ornament of the potato family.
Compared to white or the common potatoes, this is more dense and nuttier. Aside from giving a mouth-watering dish, there’s a lot of benefits to generate from this plant.
Both the skin and flesh are equally nutritious and healthy. As a matter of fact, this potato is more beneficial and healthful compared to white and yellow ones.
Some of the benefits include lowering blood pressure, strengthening blood vessels, reducing the risk of cancer and filling fiber gaps.
12. Purple TeePee French Beans
Purple TeePee French beans are the same as the green French beans but only purple in color. Surprisingly, this becomes deep green when cooked. But what makes this one of the best black vegetables for your garden is its magenta flowers that bloom in the summer.
13. Purple Yam (Ube)
This root vegetable is originally from Southeast Asia and it’s a famous root crop vegetables. With its high demand particularly for pastries and desserts, this is cultivated worldwide.
Varieties of this include a greyish-brown skin or purple skin and purple flesh. Its texture is likened to a potato when cooked. The tubes can be boiled, fried, mashed, or baked. It is also used as a replacement of some starchy vegetables.
As far as health is concerned, this is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that are essential to individuals.
14. Syrian Stuffing Eggplant
This plant belongs to the Solanacae family and is grown worldwide because of its edible fruit. Growing this gives additional flourish to your garden.
Its fruits can be best harvested once they reach a length of 4 inches to 6 inches or its skin turns glossy. Shorter than the usual eggplant, this one is excellent for stuffing. Therefore, it’s one of the black vegetables for your garden.
15. Thai Kang Kob Pumpkin
Thai Kang Kob pumpkin is not only a distinctive looking vegetable, but also a good ingredient used in making a wide range of dishes. Its outer dark green color is different from its flesh, which is orange but has a tasty flavor when cooked.
Aside from baking its flesh, it is also relishing if roasted. It can also be tasteful when added in curries and in soups.
When it comes to growing black vegetables for your garden, this plant is best grown during summer time for it does not grow in cold soil. It also takes 95 days to 120 days before it reaches its maturity. One characteristic that this plant has is that it is a good defense against pests and other bugs.
16. Tiny Coban Tomatillo
This vegetable plant belongs to a nightshade group. It produces a small, purple with green pigment. The color remains as is when ripe so it’s hard to determine if it’s fully grown and ready to harvest.
It grows 6 feet tall and needs more sunlight. Growing this kind of plant is similar to planting pepper, eggplant, and tomato, which means very manageable.
Conclusion
Given the list of black vegetables for your garden above, you are free to select what kind of dark colored plants. Of course in choosing, you have to consider a few basic elements, such as the location, soil, weather, water supply, and even the amount of fertilizer needed.