Chocolate Plants for Fragrance and Color!

We love chocolate plain or with almost anything. So it seems only normal that we would search out those plants reminiscent of our beloved chocolate. Below are some of our favorites.

Chocolate Mint Scented Geranium: Chocolate Mint Scented Geranium has a Peppermint Pattie aroma and a chocolate blotch that runs through the center of the leaf.

Planted in spring from one of our three-inch pot starter plants, this Chocolate Mint Scented Geranium grew to be over three feet wide in just three months.

In zones 7 and under, Chocolate Mint Scented Geranium can be grown as an annual in a large container. A container large enough to allow rapid growth and a high quality, fertile potting soil are a must for obtaining optimum growth. If you grow in a container, the plant should be checked each spring to see if the root zone has filled the pot. If so, a new larger container is in order.

In zones 8 and up, this chocolaty marvel can be grown in the ground. While it will take a rest in the winter by dying back to the ground, it emerges again each spring a little bigger than before. You will definitely want one or two of these near your doorway or path so they will release their fragrance as you brush against them.

Chocolate Scented Daisy: A Southwestern native, Chocolate Scented Daisy can be over wintered in zones 4 and up. It prefers a drier soil with full sun. In humid summer climates, a container or a raised bed is a good idea. In arid areas, it performs better when watered on a regular basis but once established can take some drought. How much you water depends on the area it is planted in. Chocolate Scented Daisy has a strong chocolate aroma in the early morning but as the sun beats on it, the aroma dissipates. Fortunately, it has lots of new flowers each day allowing your morning fix of heady chocolate fragrance.

Of all the chocolate plants, this one smells the most like cocoa.

Chocolate Habanero: Although a dark, milk chocolaty brown in color, this chili does not smell or taste like chocolate, but it does have a bit of bitter smokiness that might have contributed to the chocolate moniker. What you should know about Chocolate Habanero is how spicy it really is. Ranking about 400,000 Scoville units, it out-spices its orange cousin by 300,000 units. Always wear gloves when working with peppers that are this hot and start off cooking with a tiny bit. Taste as you cook so you don’t add an overwhelming amount.

Chocolate Habanero has a smokiness that lends itself well to dark rich sauces like mole.

Chocolate Mint: This variety of Peppermint has a pleasing after-dinner mint aroma. Like most Peppermint varieties, Chocolate Mint has a bit of menthol in it, so we usually dry this (which reduces the strength) before adding to a recipe. However, fresh leaves can be steeped in milk or melted butter and then strained out for use in a variety of ways. Mints should always be grown in a container. They are invasive and can get out of control when planted in the garden. Plant your Chocolate Mint in a wide container like a window box or flower bowl. It grows along the top of the soil, rooting as it goes. Mints usually only lasts one season in a container before they need to be divided.

Grown in the sun, its leaves become darker and more flavorful.

For more fun with your chocolate plants be sure to visit our Chocolate Plant Pinterest Board.