Berlandiera lyrata
Common: Chocolate Flower, Chocolate Daisy, Chocolate Scented Daisy
Family: Asteraceae
Origin/Range: Southwestern USA, Texas, northwestern Mexico, at 4000 to 5000 feet elevation (1200-1500 m)
Light: Full sun to light shade. Needs some afternoon shade in the low deserts.
Temp: Hardy to 10°F (-12°C).
Water: Moderate water in summer, do not overwater. Little water in winter
A quarter-size, vibrant, yellow daisy with striking red striped undersides and chocolate-colored stamens.
The yellow and maroon daisy-like flowers come in late summer and have a faint smell of chocolate. They close in the afternoon. Deadhead to extend the blooming season.
The Chocolate Daisy attracts butterflies.
Makes a nice, informal edging plant, and is most impressive and most fragrant when planted in groups. Although native to the Southwest, it has shown itself to be adaptable to a wide spectrum of conditions. It dies back to the ground in winter and returns with a larger crown each spring, ultimately reaching about two feet across and about 18 inches high. A night bloomer, the flowers offer up their Cocoa scent in the morning and drop their colorful petals each day as the temperature rises.