I need some information.

I am looking for a black or almost black perennial to put in my garden to memorialize my recently expired cat. I live in zone 4 in southeran Minnesota.

Black TBs, 'Before the Storm' with a rather tailored flower or 'Superstition' might do well in cold areas. How about almost black tulip 'Queen of Night' for earlier in the spring?

Schreiners' Garden's collector's edition catalog lists 'hello darkness', 'dusky challenger', 'anvil of darkness', 'black suited', 'ghost train', 'obsidian', 'matt mcnames', and 'night ruler'--all appearing to be black or near black. The catalog is a work of art in it's own right even if you chose not to order. $5.00 refundable with your order. Go to Schreinersgardens.com. They have an online catalog but the paper version is well worth the 5 bucks.

This is Black Suited-- I took the photo at Schreiners last year. One of the blackest I have seen. I have also seen Hello Darkness in bloom at Schreiners but didn't get a pic. It is very dark.

I'm very sorry for the loss of your cat. A memorial garden is a beautiful idea.

I have a first time bloomer this year with the blackest falls I've ever seen on an iris. It also has neon orange beards providing amazing contrast against the near-black falls. It really is a remarkably striking iris, AND it's an intermediate bearded that has already proven itself perfectly capable of handling the worst that northern MN has to dish out. It should do well for you in Austin.

IB 'Banshee'

a favorite of mine Ebony Angel

Here is All Night Long, a TB. Almost black. Lots of ruffles.

I got into looking for "the blackest of the black" for two years now. In spring of 2007 went on a tour of the OR/WA/ID iris gardens - all I could reach during bloom season. Saw Mid America, Schreiners, Keppel's, Cooleys, Snowpeak, Sandhill, the Meeks', and a garden of an iris lady over in Western OR. [was supposed to visit Zebra, but ran out of time - it was make the plane or not!]

the blackest ones I saw were Black Suited and All Night Long. But dozens of the others were just as nice! Before the Storm was particularly impressive, and I fell in love with Blackilious and Oreo, which is very dark and stark white.