The world of flowers is a vibrant tapestry of colours, shapes, and scents, but among the rich spectrum, one question often arises: Are there any truly black flowers? While nature offers a dazzling array of hues, the concept of a 'black' flower is more complex than it seems
There are no truly black flowers, says Phil Gates. The biological purpose of petals is usually to attract pollinators, using coloured pigments that reflect one wavelength of light and absorb all others.
A few flowers may seem black or have black petal patches (opium poppies, for example) because they contain high concentrations of anthocyanin pigments that only reflect purple wavelengths, whose hue is further deepened by the surface microstructure of the petal cells.
It's important to remember that many pollinators can see reflected ultraviolet light that is invisible to us - photographing flowers under ultraviolet light often reveals patterns that are hidden from human eyes.
