Chocolate flower is an evergreen perennial that has fragrant yellow flowers that smell like chocolate. Here’s how to grow and care for this southwest native wildflower.
Chocolate flower (Berlandiera lyrata) is an aptly named evergreen perennial wildflower. It has velvety green leaves and yellow daisy-like flowers with deep maroon centers. The fragrant flowers smell amazingly like chocolate!
This compact, informal southwest native has a wide range that extends from Colorado to Mexico and is completely at home in the desert. Plants withstand extreme heat and cold (down to below zero) and are drought-resistant.
They require little maintenance, and if the conditions are right, they occasionally reseed, but are never so prolific as to become a nuisance.
Chocolate flower provides food for seed-eating birds and nectar for native bees and butterflies.
Why I Like This Plant
- Cheerful yellow flowers spring through fall
- Fragrant flowers smell like chocolate
- Usually evergreen
- Reseeds but not aggressively
- No thorns, low-litter, non-toxic
- Attracts bees, birds, and butterflies
Things to Watch Out For
This plant has no pests or diseases, but it can get root rot if overwatered.
Optimal Growing Conditions
If you’re thinking of adding a chocolate flower to your garden, you need to find a suitable place that will keep your plant healthy and looking good.
Here are the key factors to keep in mind.
Temperature
Chocolate flower should ideally be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 – 11. It tolerates both desert heat and cold. It is particularly cold hardy, surviving temperatures down to -20℉, and possibly colder!
It is usually evergreen in warmer climates, but can freeze to the ground in severe cold.
Sun Exposure
Chocolate flower grows best in full sun, but appreciates some relief from afternoon sun in the hottest climates. It tolerates part shade.
Size and Growth Rate
They are fast growers and usually reach their mature size quickly — within a year or two. When fully grown, they form an attractive mound, typically 1 foot tall by 2 feet wide.
Soil
Chocolate flower grows well in most types of desert soil — sand, clay, loam — provided it’s well-draining. It actually prefers poor, rocky, alkaline soil. It grows in disturbed areas such as roadsides and vacant lots.
Other Location Considerations
Chocolate flowers have no thorns, stickers, or irritating hairs. Because they are “unarmed,” non-toxic, and litter-free, you can feel comfortable placing them near a pool, sidewalk, or anywhere they might come in contact with pets and people.
Plant where people can enjoy its fragrance. Having a plant that smells like chocolate can be a real conversation piece.
They provide a nice contrast to boulders and spiky desert plants and look great in rock gardens, wildflower gardens, or as an edging plant. They can also be grown in containers.
Chocolate Flower:
The Essentials
| Common Name | Chocolate flower |
| Scientific Name | Berlandiera lyrata |
| Origin | Southwestern US, Mexico |
| Plant Type | Perennial |
| USDA Zones | Zones 4 – 11 |
| Cold Hardiness | To -20℉ |
| Flower Color | Yellow with maroon center |
| Flower Season | Spring, summer, fall |
| Mature Size | 1-2′ high x 1-2’ wide |
| Growth Rate | Fast |
| Sun Tolerance | Full sun, part sun |
| Water Needs | Low |
| Pests & Diseases | Root rot if overwatered |
| Garden Friendly | No thorns, low litter, non-toxic |
| Wildlife | Attracts bees, birds, butterflies |
How to Plant
The rule of thumb when planting any perennial in the desert is to dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball but no deeper. Amending the soil is not recommended. Counterintuitively, backfilling with the same native soil you just dug up helps your plant develop a stronger root system.
When to Plant
The best time to plant perennials is in the fall. This gives it three seasons to grow roots and get established before the following summer.
The second best time is in spring, the earlier the better. This still gives your plant time to get established before the intense heat of June arrives.
Growing From Seed
You can also grow chocolate flower from seeds. If you have a plant in your garden, you can collect your own. You’ll find seeds inside dried flowers.
Compared to some other daisy-like wildflowers which seed profusely (i.e., desert marigold or blanket flower), chocolate flowers don’t produce a lot of seeds.
If you are starting from scratch, you can easily buy chocolate flower seeds from nurseries or online.
You can sow the seeds as you would any other native wildflower. You can learn more about sowing wildflower seeds here.
How to Care for Chocolate Flower
Whether you’ve recently planted a chocolate flower or have an existing one in your yard, here’s how to take care of it to keep it healthy and looking its best.
How to Water
During the first growing season, give your plant about 1/2 gallon of water once a week while it’s establishing its root system.
After that, the University of Arizona recommends watering desert perennials on this schedule:
| Spring (March – May) | 10 – 14 days |
| Summer (May – Oct.) | 7 – 10 days |
| Fall (Oct. – Dec.) | 10 – 14 days |
| Winter (Dec – March) | 14 – 21 days |
Be careful not to overwater. Chocolate flower can develop root rot if overwatered.
Should You Fertilize?
Chocolate flowers do not need to be fertilized. Too much fertilizer can result in leggy plants with fewer flowers.
How to Prune
It’s recommended that you cut chocolate flower back to a few inches in late winter to stimulate new growth. You can also prune plants anytime throughout the year if they get rangy or unkempt.
Deadheading spent flowers encourages continuous flowering. This also provides you with a source of free seeds.
Plant Lover Facts
Chocolate flower goes by other common names including chocolate daisy, chocolate scented daisy, green eyes, and greeneyed lyre leaf.
The name green eyes comes from the green flower center that remains after flower petals fall off.
Chocolate flower has a large natural range that includes Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and much of Mexico.
Have you grown this plant?
Was it a “hit” or a “miss” in your garden?
Please share your experience in the comments below!
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Author Bio
Deane Alban is the creator of Southwest Gardener. She is a science writer with a bachelor’s degree in botany from the University of South Florida. Gardening is her lifelong passion. She’s been gardening in Tucson for 15 years.
Photo Credits
Kaldari, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Patrick Alexander, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
Quinn Dombroski, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
One of my favorite flowering natives. It grows easily from collected seed. Flowers open in the morning and close during heat of day but will continue even during summer. It has been untouched by javelina.
It’s great to know that javelinas leave it alone!