One of the most whimsical theme gardens you can build is a chocolate garden, where all of the plants smell like chocolate, look like chocolate, or have been given a fun chocolately name.
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Andropogon gerardii 'Blackhawks' PP 27,949
Item #: 13009
Zones: 4a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Arisaema fargesii
Item #: 3126
Zones: 5a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter, Fall
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: Bare Root / 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Astilbe 'Chocolate Shogun' PP 26,430
Item #: 13514
Zones: 3a to 7b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid, Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Berlandiera pumila 'Chocoholic'
Item #: 8092
Zones: 7a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Calycanthus floridus 'Burgundy Spice' PP 28,886
Next crop available: 07/15/2020
Item #: 14285
Zones: 6a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 96" tall
Culture: Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Colocasia esculenta 'Aloha' PP 29,692
Item #: 12989
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Eastern Asia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Colocasia esculenta 'Black Ripple' PP 26,151
Next crop available: 07/03/2020
Item #: 13716
Zones: 8a to 10b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Eastern Asia
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Cypripedium 'Schoko' (Frosch®)
Item #: 10654
Zones: 4a to 7b, at least
Dormancy: Winter, Fall
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Dahlia 'Yellow Hammer'
Next crop available: 04/24/2020
Item #: 4718
Zones: 7a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Epimedium grandiflorum 'Circe'
Item #: 12780
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Epimedium grandiflorum 'Dark Beauty'
Next crop available: 07/10/2020
Item #: 6231
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Japan
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Epimedium 'Pink Champagne'
Item #: 8936
Zones: 5a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Epimedium 'Pretty in Pink'
Item #: 8484
Zones: 4a to 8b
Dormancy:
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Epimedium 'Rise and Shine'
Item #: 12757
Zones: 5a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Epimedium sp. nov. 'Spine Tingler'
Item #: 2208
Zones: 5a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Epimedium wushanense 'Sandy Claws'
Item #: 8861
Zones: 6a to 8b, possibly colder
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Hansara 'Jumping Jacks' PPAF
Item #: 13856
Zones: 9a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 14" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Heuchera 'Zipper' PP 25,428
Item #: 12729
Zones: 4a to 8a
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 8" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Light Shade
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Hibiscus 'Cherry Choco Latte' PP 30,738
Item #: 13758
Zones: 4a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Hibiscus 'Holy Grail' PPAF
Next crop available: 07/17/2020
Item #: 13759
Zones: 4a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 54" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' PP 24,079
Next crop available: 08/07/2020
Item #: 1781
Zones: 5a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 60" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Hibiscus 'Starry Starry Night' PP 27,901
Next crop available: 06/19/2020
Item #: 11952
Zones: 4a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 48" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Iris x louisiana 'Melon Cocktail'
Item #: 3905
Zones: 6a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Summer
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Iris x louisiana 'Wow Factor'
Item #: 3911
Zones: 6a to 10b, at least
Dormancy: Summer
Height: 42" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Lysimachia congestiflora 'Persian Chocolate'
Item #: 5803
Zones: 6a to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 2" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: China
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Manfreda undulata 'Cherry Chocolate Chip' PP 29,918
Next crop available: 04/12/2019
Item #: 12991
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Manfreda undulata 'Chocolate Chips'
Next crop available: 07/10/2020
Item #: 8355
Zones: 7a to 8b, at least
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Manfreda undulata 'Mint Chocolate Chip' PP 29,343
Item #: 12976
Zones: 7b to 9b, at least
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Arctic Fox'
Item #: 13524
Zones: 8a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Bad Hair Day' PP 29,313
Item #: 12948
Zones: 7b to 11
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Bloodlines'
Item #: 14958
Zones: 9a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Bloodspot'
Next crop available: 08/28/2020
Item #: 8116
Zones: 9a to 10b, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Cappuccino'
Next crop available: 05/15/2020
Item #: 9081
Zones: 8a to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Crazy Cowlick' PPAF
Item #: 13489
Zones: 9a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 20" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Desert Dragon' PPAF
Item #: 13796
Zones: 9a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 5" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Dreadlocks' PPAF
Item #: 13723
Zones: 9a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Inca Warrior'
Item #: 13488
Zones: 7b to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Jaguar'
Item #: 9691
Zones: 7b to 10b
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 24" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid, Mexico
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Kaleidoscope' PP 28,614
Item #: 11905
Zones: 8a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Mayan Queen' PPAF
Item #: 13184
Zones: 9a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 15" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Navajo Princess' PP 31,136
Item #: 13722
Zones: 7b to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 12" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Silver Fox' PP 29,642
Item #: 12958
Zones: 9a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 11" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Snow Leopard' PP 31,137
Item #: 13854
Zones: 8a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 18" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Sponge Paint' PPAF
Item #: 15002
Zones: 9a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 6" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Mangave 'Spotty Dotty' PP 29,917
Item #: 12726
Zones: 9a to 11, guessing
Dormancy: Evergreen
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Peltandra virginica
Item #: 262
Zones: 5a to 9b
Dormancy: Winter
Height: 36" tall
Culture: Sun to Part Sun
Origin: United States
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
Trillium x macaroni 'Van Buren Mosaic'
Item #: 12917
Zones: 5a to 8b, possibly warmer
Dormancy: Summer, Fall
Height: 10" tall
Culture: Part Sun to Shade
Origin: United States Hybrid
Pot Size: 3.5" pot (24 fl. oz/0.7 L) ?
More Information About Chocolate Garden
Perennials with a Chocolate Garden theme including Berlandiera and Verbesina.
If you are a devotee of Hershey, Nestle, or Cadbury then listen closely. Lovers of Godiva, Lindt and Toblerone pay attention. You too, Tootsie Roll fans. One of the most whimsical theme gardens you can build is a chocolate garden, where all of the plants smell like chocolate, look like chocolate, or have been given a fun chocolately name. You too, can pay homage to your favorite fudgy treat by planting a chocolate garden.
We have scoured our plant catalog to assemble a group of perennials that relate somehow to chocolate and can be grown in a temperate chocolate garden. The real chocolate plant, Theobroma cacao, is tropical, so unfortunately does not make our list. Neither does the plant from which carob is made, Ceratonia siliqua. It is a little more cold hardy, but still can only be grown in the same areas as citrus trees. Too bad.
There are a few cold hardy perennials that actually smell like chocolate and are perfect for the chocolate garden. Two that we occasionally grow here at PDN are Berlandiera and Verbesina microptera. Berlandiera flowers appear in summer and smell like rich milk chocolate, especially in the morning. Berlandiera is a small, cute perennial with yellow, daisy-like flowers. Verbesina flowers appear late in fall and smell exactly like chocolate Tootsie Rolls. They too, are yellow, but the flowers are flattened corymbs similar to queen anne's lace. Verbesina is a large woody shrub that tops out at about 15 feet.
Most of the plants in our chocolate garden list are there because they have flowers or leaves with a chocolate brown color. This may sound like a strange color for a garden, but these plants look very nice planted together and will complement light colored plants nicely. Amorphophallus and Arisaema have plenty of chocolate colored members. So do Canna, Colocasia, Dahlia, Heuchera, and Manfreda.
Finally, there are plants with chocolatey names like 'Chocolate Chips' (Manfreda, Baptisia), 'Dutch Chocolate' (Baptisia), 'Chocolatte' (Epimedium) and 'Persian Chocolate' (Lysimachia). We are rotate plants into and out of our catalog, so bookmark this page and check back to see when chocolate garden plants return such as Eupatorium 'Chocolate', Geranium 'Chocolate Candy', Heuchera 'Chocolate Ruffles' and 'Chocolate Veil', Persicaria 'Chocolate Dragon', Rodgersia 'Chocolate Wings', or Tiarella 'Mint Chocolate'.
If you want to go all the way, you can sometimes find mulch made from cocoa hulls for your chocolate garden. It smells just like chocolate, but the scent only lasts for a few weeks. If you are familiar with the internet sensation, Tay Zonday, you might be able to arrange for some Chocolate Rain in your garden, too. Good luck! When you are ready to buy chocolate garden plants, check out our online list of chocolate garden plants for sale.