At home on the plains, mesas, and grasslands from Colorado to Texas and south into Mexico, chocolate flower blooms from late spring until frost and year-round in warm regions. The plant got its name from the chocolate scent of its flowers. The daisy-like blooms sit atop mostly erect leafless stems that emerge from a rosette of green leaves at the base. The flowers have yellow rays and a maroon-brown center.
Chocolate flower is a tough, easy-to-grow perennial with excellent drought tolerance. Like a few other perennials, including moonflower (Datura), night phlox (Zaluzianskya), flowering tobacco (Nicotiana alata), and four o'clock (Mirabilis jalapa), it blooms at night. The chocolate-scented flowers open at twilight, and their cocoa aroma wafts through the garden in the early morning.
Chocolate Flower Overview
Where to Plant Chocolate Flower
Plant chocolate flowers in a location with full sun and well-drained, alkaline soil.
This is a great plant for cottage gardens, perennial borders. rock gardens, and gravel gardens. Because of its drought tolerance, it is also suitable for xeriscape gardens. For best effect, plant chocolate flower drifts or mass plantings. Pair this North American native with other natives to create a wildflower meadow with food and shelter for local pollinators and wildlife.
How and When to Plant Chocolate Flower
Plant potted chocolate flowers after the last spring frost. Dig a hole about twice the diameter of the nursery container and about the same depth. Place the plant in the hole and fill in original soil to the top of the root ball. Gently compact the soil and water well. Water deeply in the absence of rain until the plant is established.
Space plants 2 feet apart.
Care Tips
After the plant is established, the care for chocolate flower is minimal.
Light
Chocolate flower needs a location in full sun.
Soil and Water
In its native habitat, chocolate flower grows in dry, sandy loams and rocky limestone soils but it is quite adaptable to other soils conditions, as long as the soil is alkaline (pH above 8.0) and does not hold excess moisture.
Water chocolate flowers regularly during the first growing season to help it establish a strong root system. After that, no or only infrequent watering is needed because excess moisture will cause the plants to develop floppy stems.
Temperature and Humidity
Chocolate flower grows in a fairly wide climate range and is potentially hardy in as low as Zone 4. However, in Zones 4 through 6, it is a good idea to blanket chocolate flower with a 4- to 6-inch layer of mulch in late fall. In climates where the plant is marginally winter-hardy, chocolate flower is especially prone to winter damage in planting spots that are poorly drained. The plant prospers in dry, arid, and semi-arid climates and is less suitable for hot, humid climates.
Fertilizer
Like other wildflowers, chocolate flower succeeds with only very little fertilizer or no fertilizer at all. Overfertilizing the plant may backfire and cause poor bloom.
Pruning
If plants become leggy and overgrown in midsummer, cut stems back by half to encourage fresh, compact foliage and a new flush of flowers. A mass planting can even be mowed after the first bloom; the plants will grow back and likely rebloom. In spring, cut chocolate flowers back to 2 to 3 inches above the soil level.
Potting and Repotting Chocolate Flower
Growing chocolate flowers in pots is possible but not ideal because the plant has a long taproot. Even if you plant it in an extra-deep container, it won’t be as attractive as the flowers look best and exude the most scent in mass plantings.
Pests and Problems
This tough native plant has no serious insect or disease issues and is usually not damaged by deer. Poorly draining soil commonly leads to root rot.
How to Propagate Chocolate Flower
Because of its long taproot, propagation by division is not recommended. Instead, propagate it from seed. Like many wildflowers, starting it from seed outdoors after the last danger of spring frost works best. Wait until the daytime temperatures reach at least 65 degrees F. Loosen the soil to a depth of 8 inches and clear it of all weeds and debris. Scatter the seeds over the area and barely cover them with soil as they need light to germinate. Gently spray the area with a hose in the absence of rain. Germination takes up to 4 weeks.
Chocolate Flower Companion Plants
Poppy Mallow
A perfect meadow or cottage flower, poppy mallow bears neon magenta blooms from late spring into fall. Its long taproot makes it difficult to transplant once established but gives the plant excellent drought tolerance. It tends to self-seed in the garden. Zone 4-10
Penstemon
This North American native plant has a home in nearly every garden with flowers that hummingbirds love. There are many different penstemon types. The leaves are lance-shaped or oval, sometimes purple-red as in the popular cultivar 'Husker Red'. Some Western species need outstanding drainage to dry conditions and won't thrive during wet weather. Zone 3-9
Little Bluestem
A mainstay of the now nearly lost tallgrass prairie, little bluestem was once king of regions where buffalo roamed. Today, in your garden, it's gorgeous when backlit by the sun, especially in fall when it turns a glorious red, tan, or gold. This fine-textured, warm-season grass can be incorporated easily into mixed borders, meadows, and wild gardens. It has bluish or green stems and produces tan flower spikelets, which turn silvery white as they age. Zone 3-9
Lavender
Lavender fills the early-summer garden with sensory delights: beautiful purple-tone blooms atop foliage that oozes fragrance on a sunny afternoon. Lavender varieties abound: The darker the flower, the more intense the aroma. Drought-, heat-, and wind-tolerant, lavender doesn't like poor drainage, waterlogged soil, or high humidity. Zone 5-9
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is chocolate flower edible?The flower was used as a medicinal herb by Native American peoples and the plant is not toxic but if you expect the taste to be as delicious and reminiscent of chocolate as the smell, you'll be disappointed—it tastes mostly bitter.
The flower was used as a medicinal herb by Native American peoples and the plant is not toxic but if you expect the taste to be as delicious and reminiscent of chocolate as the smell, you'll be disappointed—it tastes mostly bitter.
- Does chocolate flower spread?In optimal growing conditions, chocolate flower spreads by self-seeding. If you prefer to control its spread, deadhead or mow plants right after they finish blooming.
In optimal growing conditions, chocolate flower spreads by self-seeding. If you prefer to control its spread, deadhead or mow plants right after they finish blooming.