…and better. Magnolia ‘Aphrodite’ Magnolia ‘Aphrodite’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ is excellent too but, as yet, unnamed. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘Pickard’s Ruby’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’…

…yet got a registered name. I suspect it will! Magnolia ‘Rose Marie’ x Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Rose Marie’ x Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Rose Marie’ x Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’…

…black berries Sarcocca wallichii Sarcocca wallichii Nothofagus dombeyi trunk Nothofagus dombeyi Camellia ‘Black Lace’ Camellia ‘Black Lace’ Camellia ‘Black Lace’ Dacrycarpus dacrydioides trunk. These are growing as a clump of…

…of the later evergreen azaleas to flower. The best very dark red? Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ Azalea ‘Black Hawk’ This is Rhododendron reticulatum which is nearly (but not quite) deciduous. It…

…black in bud. Camellia ‘Black Magic’ Camellia ‘Black Magic’ Magnolias tower over the woodland valley garden. The dark one may well be ‘Bishop Michael’. Magnolias Magnolias Magnolias Camellia ‘Fairy Wand’…

…sun. Fagus sylvatica ‘Black Swan’ Fagus sylvatica ‘Black Swan’ Salix moupinense (from Tom Hudson / Vietnam) is very different from Salix fargesii despite what the reference books say. I had…

…with its first flowers out above Crinodendron Hedge amid the Styrax species planting. Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’ Magnolia ‘Yuchelia’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ beside it. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia…

…as they just emerge from the very black buds and ahead of the leaves. Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ An…

…Zandee’ – first flowering here Magnolia ‘Antje Zandee’ Magnolia ‘Antje Zandee’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Purple Dream’ – first flowering here Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Purple Dream’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’…

…as near black as you can get as it first comes out. Camellia ‘Midnight Magic’ Camellia ‘Midnight Magic’ Camellia ‘Midnight Magic’ A dwarf rhododendron species in the Auklandii Garden just…