Wildflower/Perennial · Sonoran native
Chocolate Flower
Berlandiera lyrata · Asteraceae
Also called: Chocolate Daisy, Green-eyes, Lyreleaf Greeneyes
Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata) is a low-water wildflower/perennial native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun, with a moderate growth rate.
Chocolate Flower at a glance
- Water use
- Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates light afternoon shade
- Mature size
- 12-18 in H x 12-24 in W (flower stalks to about 2 ft)
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom
- Yellow ray flowers with maroon-brown centers and maroon stripes on the undersides of the petals, Spring through fall (peak late spring; reblooms after monsoon); flowers open in the cool of morning
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about -20 F; USDA zones 4-10
- Soil
- Well-drained sandy, gravelly, rocky or loam soils; tolerant of poor and alkaline desert soils; needs good drainage
- Native range
- Grasslands and high desert of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and northern Mexico (native to Arizona)
- Best used as
- Wildflower and pollinator gardens, Scented/sensory gardens (chocolate-scented blooms), Borders and naturalized plantings, Rock and xeriscape gardens
- Wildlife
- Attracts native bees, butterflies and other pollinators; seeds eaten by birds.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic; considered safe around people and pets.
How to grow Chocolate Flower in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Drought tolerant once established; water deeply every 1-2 weeks in summer for best flowering, less in cooler months. Tolerates dry spells but blooms more with occasional irrigation.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Little to none required; performs well in lean soils. A light spring application of compost or balanced fertilizer is optional but not necessary.
Pruning & care
Deadhead or shear spent flowers to prolong bloom and tidy the plant. Cut back in late winter to refresh; reseeds readily and can be allowed to naturalize.
Notes
Named for its distinctive chocolate or cocoa fragrance, strongest in the cool morning when flowers open. The maroon centers and striped petal-backs make it ornamental; a charming, easy reseeding perennial for Tucson low- to mid-elevation gardens.
Sources: University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; AMWUA Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert; Tohono Chul