Aromatic Aster
Symphyotrichum oblongifolium
A drought-proof, mounding aster that closes the pollinator season with sheets of blue.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1.5–2.5 ft
- Blooms Sep–Nov
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- Plant guide
- Chocolate Flower
Yellow, maroon center
Perennial wildflower
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata
Yellow daisies that genuinely smell of chocolate each morning — and bloom all summer in heat.
the desert Southwestthe Great Plainsthe South-Central region
Growing Chocolate Flower
The cocoa fragrance is strongest in the cool of early morning. Thrives on neglect in hot, dry, gravelly ground. It’s deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, fragrant, and long-blooming.
Where it grows
Chocolate Flower is native to the desert Southwest. In the wild you’ll find it across Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Illinois · Iowa · Kansas · Louisiana · Minnesota · Missouri and 10 more states. Always confirm it suits your specific county with your state native plant society before planting.
Regional Garden shows Chocolate Flower on 20 state pages.
Good for
Sourcing
Where to buy Chocolate Flower
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.
Plant it with
Companions & kin.
Natives that share Chocolate Flower’s range and conditions.
Black-Eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta
A cheerful, unkillable starter native that blooms its first year and seeds itself politely around.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–3 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Blanketflower
Gaillardia aristata
Fiery red-and-gold wheels that bloom nonstop all summer on hot, dry, sandy ground.
- Full sun
- Dry
- 1–2.5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Lanceleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis lanceolata
Sunny gold daisies for weeks in early summer on the leanest, driest soil you can offer.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 1.5–2 ft
- Blooms May–Jul