Best Chocolate Scented Flowers

Other Common Names: Chocolate Flower & Lyreleaf Greeneyes

Yellow-Flowering Perennial Nectar Plant.
Stamens have a chocolate flavor & are edible. Can also smell the chocolate scent by plucking off the florets.
Native to North America & drought tolerant.
Attracts Bees, Bumblebees, & Butterflies.
Native Americans used it to alleviate stomach problems, treat nervous conditions and possibly inspire courage.
Grows 1’-2’ Tall & 1’-2’ Wide, Best in Full Sun.
Blooms at night from Spring until frost. By mid-morning, the flower closes or drops.
As it gets hotter, the flowers turn white & the florets drop leaving the green disc shape. It is propagated by seed.

Dark red to brownish red chocolate-colored flowers.
Emits a smell of rich chocolate which becomes more noticeable towards the end of a warm, sunny day.
Native to Mexico, drought tolerant & easy to grow.
Grows to 30” Tall, does well in fertile, well-drained soil, and blooms best in full sun to partial shade.
Flowers from mid to late summer & is considered an annual in our zone 5b. Plant in the ground or in a container.
It has tuberous roots that are frost-sensitive (zones 6-11) but, it can be dug up in the fall & stored in a frost-free area in slightly moist peat. Look for roots that have an eye or new growth to start new plants.

Other Common Names: Black Oyster Plant, Serpent Root,

and Viper’s Herb

Black Salsify has dandelion-like, large yellow blooms that give off a soft, delicate aroma that smells like chocolate.
The fragrance is most intense during the morning hours and by afternoon, the scent fades away.
It is native to southern Europe and the Near East. It was believed that the plant was an antidote for snake bites.
All parts (roots, stems & flowers) are edible, but mostly known for the lower root part of the plant. The carrot-like roots are tender, long and tapered with shiny white flesh that turns black when exposed to air.
Commercially grown as an annual vegetable, it is a biennial flowering the second year. Grown by seed-very frost hardy.

This tropical mini-orchid, with charming, delicate, reddish-brown flowers, exudes a magnificent sweet chocolate scent that can fill a room.
It is an easy to grow plant that is great for beginners.
Originating in England, it was hybridized in 1983.
It blooms about twice a year & flowers last up to 45 days.
This orchid will grow to 8-10” tall.
Grow this plant indoors. Place it in a well-lit spot like an east-facing window to get soft morning sun, away from intense direct sunlight.
Place the plant pot on/just above a tray of pebbles filled with water to increase the humidity. .

February 9, 2023 Presented By Karen Pacey

This herb has showy lavender flowers that bloom from July – August and open from the bottom up. It also has dark green leaves that are very fragrant and edible.
The chocolate name comes from its smell, not its taste which is more of an orange flavor. Used in desserts & tea.
It is native Europe & the Middle East and grown as a ground cover that spreads by rhizomes.
The plant grows well in a container or on the ground but beware as it can be invasive if not kept under control.
This perennial grows well in USDA zones 5-9. If planted in full sun to part shade, it will reach a height of 12”-24”.
Attracts butterflies and other pollinators.
Minthe, a water nymph in Greek mythology, was made into a mint plant by Persephone in revenge for Minthe’s affair with her husband Hades, King of the underworld.

Other Names: Eastern Sweetshrub and Spice Bush

The dark, reddish-brown flowers smell like chocolate, the foliage releases a cinnamon-like scent and the plant produces an edible, delicious spice. Snip off its’ twigs, dry them out in the sun, smash up the bark and use it like cinnamon.
Native to south-eastern United States.
This shrub grows best in full sun to a height of 6’ – 10’ & can also be grown in containers.
It blooms during the spring in hardiness zones 4-9.
Plant near a door or on a patio to enjoy the fragrant aroma.

Other Common Name: Raisin Vine

This vigorous perennial is famous for its’ chocolate scented flowers and edible, sweet pulp fruits, similar to white dragon fruit, that split open when they are ripe.
It is a shrub native to Japan, China and Korea. In the U.S. and Europe, it is mostly used as an ornamental, as a ground cover to prevent erosion, or to cover unattractive spots.
In its’ native habitat, it is found on hills & trees and on the edges of forests & streams.
This climbing evergreen shrub can grow 30 ft. tall and is hardy in zones 4-9.
The unusual flowers bloom prolifically in full sun to part shade from April to May.
The fruit is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine and the vines are used for basket-weaving which may help in controlling the spread of this plant.

Enjoy the sweet scent of chocolate by planting these perennials and annuals in your garden or in containers on your patio or balcony.

Des Plaines Garden Club Horticulture Talk

February 9, 2023

Presented By Karen Pacey