Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

rate this answer

Thursday - July 12, 2012
From: Coral Gables, FL
Region: Southeast
Topic: Herbs/Forbs, Shrubs, Vines
Title: Plants that smell like chocolate from Coral Gables FL
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
I am looking for plants that smell like chocolate. I live in south Florida. We are currently growing and testing Berlandiera lyrata. Do you know of other plants whose flowers smell like chocolate?ANSWER:
There turned out to be quite a list of these. We just searched the Internet on "plants that smell like chocolate." Two are native to North America and you can follow the links to our webpages on them. The rest are non-native, and we can't even vouch for whether starts of them can be obtained or if they will survive in Florida.
Native to North America:
Calycanthus floridus (Eastern sweetshrub). From About.com Carolina Allspice - Calycanthus floridus .
Berlandiera lyrata (Chocolate daisy).
Non-native to North America:
From About.com Akenabia Quinata, Chocolate Vine. Also from Invasives.org Akenabia quinata. This plant originated in China, Japan and Korea. Several sources named it as extremely invasive, which you don't want going on in Florida.
From OMG Facts Cosmos atrosanguinus. SFGate Chocolate Cosmos: An Inedible Flower. Native to Mexico and possibly extinct in its home habitat.
AllExperts Calla Lily
University of California Master Gardeners Some Plants for the Chocolate Theme Garden
From the Image Gallery
More Vines Questions
Problem with acanthus in Vancouver BC
May 16, 2010 - My girlfriend's Mom just planted an Acanthus in her garden. In the morning, it apparently stands up tall, but in the evening it bends over until the the leaves are lying in the dirt. She's concerned...
view the full question and answer
Identification of a vine in Tennessee
June 14, 2014 - I have a beautiful vine with clusters approximately 70 feet
All the way up a tree in a heavily wooded area. It seems to be evergreen or semi- evergreen. Can you help identify?
view the full question and answer
Evergreen vine for screen
March 20, 2013 - We have pretty much "dead" red-tipped photinia bushes and old pine trees that have seen better days, on a steep hillside. We need to remove and replace with a more natural setting, with some terraci...
view the full question and answer
Evergreen vine for Lake Jackson, Texas
March 06, 2009 - I have some lattice for privacy that I would like to cover with an evergreen vine or ivy. One is facing to the west, the other to the east. What would you suggest?
view the full question and answer
Native evergreen vine for St. Paul MN
June 17, 2010 - I am looking for a native vine that will stay green, or at least keep its leaves, throughout the winter. The vine will be grown on a trellis between our house and our neighbor's, and we want to keep...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |