Imagine waking up to the scent of chocolate in your garden! Believe it or not, there are plants that actually smell just like chocolate.
As their scent becomes heat activated at different times, you can enjoy a fresh chocolate scent morning to late afternoon—if you plant accordingly. To enhance the experience, add some plants with leaves that look as velvety as chocolate, plus others with scents that complement the aroma of chocolate. Most should not be eaten; only two listed below can be used in cooking. Read on to discover more.
Chocolate-scented houseplants
Chocolate-Scented Geranium, Pelargonium.
Most scented "geraniums" are actually pelargoniums. More than one variety has leaves that carry a "chocolate" scent, although I have to say that scent perception is an individual thing. Some of my friends smell chocolate. Others don't. Pelargoniums are mostly houseplants, but you can also treat them as annuals in your garden; they're too tender to overwinter outdoors. Put them in soil that drains well in a place where they'll be shaded from the hot afternoon sun. Water only when soil is dry.
Chocolate-Scented Orchid, Oncidium Sharry Baby.
The many delicate-looking flowers of this tall, gorgeous orchid are cherry red with white-tipped lips and give out a delightful scent. Unlike some orchids, it's not too picky about its growing conditions. Just be sure to place it somewhere like a kitchen or bathroom where it will get a good amount of humidity as well as the bright, indirect light it needs to flower. Or you could put it on a tray of pebbles with water underneath and occasionally spray it. The soil should be dry before you water. Sweet-scented Sharry Baby does grow tall, so make sure your pot is heavy and stable!
Chocolate-scented outdoor plants
Chocolate Daisy, Berlandiera lyrata.
These daisylike blooms—with their yellow petals and maroon and orange center—can be a cheery addition to your chocolate garden. The plant blooms at night and emits a chocolate scent in the morning. Depending on wind direction, you might catch the fragrance up to 30 feet away! The plant is drought tolerant and can be planted in sun or partial shade.
Chocolate Cosmos, Cosmos atrosanguineus.
If dark chocolate is your weakness, plant some Cosmos. These gorgeous dark burgundy flowers let loose their beguiling scent in the late afternoon, so dedicated chocoholics might pair them with Chocolate Daisies, which emit their scent in the morning. Chocolate Cosmos need well-drained soil and full sun; the heat of midsummer really gets them going.
Chocolate Mint, Mentha piperita cv.
Got a craving for a peppermint pattie? The taste of these edible leaves will remind you of this favorite minty-chocolate treat. Try some in coffee or hot chocolate. Or dry the leaves and mix them into your favorite brownie batter. Chocolate Mint does best with at least half a day of sun. The plant can grow and spread aggressively, so try placing it in a large container in your chocolate-themed garden.
Chocolate-looking plants
Viola "Velour Frosted Chocolate," Viola x williamsii.
This beauty won't tease your nose with a chocolate scent, but it will charm you with its lovely dark color. It blooms profusely throughout the spring and early summer, and—surprise—its flowers are edible! Use the blooms to decorate cupcakes. It's easy to grow in full or partial sun and is available as part of a seed kit from the Chocolate Flower Farm.
Pincushion Flower, Scabiosa "Ace of Spades."
Here's another dark flower whose ruffled flowers (with up to 3-foot stems) will really spice up the look of your garden. A lover of the sun, it also needs good drainage. The dark burgundy flowers have only a slight scent (and it's not chocolate), but its look is lush and definitely resembles the ace on a playing card.
Chocolate-scented mulch
Cocoa Mulch.
That's right, you can mulch your plants with an environmentally friendly product that will send a delicate chocolate scent throughout your garden. This mulch, made from cocoa bean shells, is not for consumption by humans or pets. The Chocolate Flower Farm does distribute a cocoa mulch that has been treated to remove theobromine, the alkaloid in chocolate that is poisonous. (However, do note that not all brands have been treated as such, so always check that the brand you are purchasing indicates that it is pet safe.)
Images courtesy of Chocolate Flower Farm
