Chocolate flower is a shrubby, branched perennial that grows to about 1 or 2 feet tall and wide. Leaves are deep green above and whitish underneath, and are small and fine. Flowers are daisy-lie, with yellow rays and a green eye surrounded in red. Flowers bloom at night from late spring to frost, and smell like chocolate, with the aroma being most noticeable in early to mid-morning before the petals close up or drop. Really. A lovely, tough perennial that smells like chocolate. It's native to grassy plains and so is lovely in a meadow-like setting, though it also fits in well with a more cottage-style perennial border.
Grow in average, dry to medium, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates some light shade. Prefers slightly alkaline soils. Tolerates rocky soils. Good tolerance for heat and drought. May produce more flowers with consistent moisture, but at the cost of drooping stems, but that also doesn't mean to over-water. May self-seed in the garden. Easily grown from seed. Frost tolerant to 10 F.