Are you a sweets junkie who can’t get enough of that sugar rush? Sometimes, sweetly-scented flowers in a darker shade are enough to curtail the urge to reach for a Lindt chocolate. These richly tinted blooms, brushed in shades of dark chocolate, expresso, and mocha and molded into shape as if by a chocolatier, are a curiosity in themselves – they’re simultaneously gothic and torrid, a combination of killer instinct and sweet desires. 

Some of these plants, like the 'Sweet Hot Chocolate' daylily, are even edible, though they won’t taste exactly like chocolate. Darken the palette with these indulgent, moody flowers to cultivate a chocolate-themed garden  

 

1. Ice N' Roses® Red Helleborus

The striking blooms of hellebore are always a welcome sight during early spring, when few other flowers are in bloom. The Ice N' Roses® cultivar comes from a new line that has selected for its robust and long-lived nature. Hellebores thrive in partially shaded areas under deciduous trees, filling difficult spots. It can be combined with similar shade-loving plants such as epimediums, Solomon’s Seals, and elephant ears. 

2. Sweet Hot Chocolate Daylily

Daylilies are often viewed as filler plants, stuck in difficult spots where they form scraggly and unwieldy clumps. The 'Sweet Hot Chocolate' daylily is one of these plants that retains all of the best qualities of daylilies, with the added benefit of a rich, luscious color. Unlike the plainer daylily varieties, they can be planted as focal points or integrated with other plants. Daylilies are compatible with a wide range of soils, including chalky, clay, and loamy soil types. 

3. Dahlia 'Karma Choc'

Darker dahlias have always been popular, and this dahlia ranks among the darkest. The floral version of the femme fatale, Dahlia 'Karma Choc' reigns with velvety, deep-raspberry flowers, nearly black at the center. What’s more is that these flowers actually smell like chocolate. A dark flower with a dark heart, its burgundy tones and architectural petals look beautiful in bouquets. Spike with vanilla-scented white heliotrope for a decadent combination. 

4. Chocolate Cherry Sunflower  

Sunflowers are beloved for their clean-cut shapes and sun-facing nature – add in a layer of chocolate, and they become even more irresistible. The chocolate cherry sunflower is a rich visual feast for the senses, with deep chocolate-burgundy petals. It has minimal pollen, making it ideal for flower bouquets, and germinates quickly. Sown in full sun after all threat has passed, these unique sunflowers take 60 – 90 days to mature from seed. 

5. Clematis montana var. wilsonii 

If you are worried that these dramatic flowers might be too much excitement in one day, then look to this white-flowered montana clematis. Clematis montana var. wilsonii can be trained to tumble from trellises from above your head, spilling out frothy, satin-like blossoms. Their distinctive stamens emit a chocolatey scent that serenades you as you pass under an arch. 

6. 'Midnight Feelings' Phlox 

'Midnight Feelings' Phlox is a curious plant that has been bred so that its rust-colored bracts never fade; its flowers never actually open. Among the candy-colored phloxes, it’s definitely an outlier, the rebel of the group. Cultivate alongside Night Phlox 'Midnight Candy' for an intensely fragrant evening – as the sun sets, the wind carries the sweet and intoxicating scent of its night-blooming companion on the breeze, intensifying as midnight approaches. 

7. Bachelor's Buttons Black (Centaurea Cyanus) 

Cornflowers are famed for their deep azure blue, standing out on a clear summer day, but the dark version is a worthy contender. A dark, magical purple, this variety of Centaurea Cyanus embellishes gardens with its frilly flowers. Its edible, quaint flowers are perfect for cut flowers, scrapbooking, and salads. One of the easier flowers to grow, it is long-lived and attractive to pollinators. 

8. Morning Glory 'Chocolate'

This hard-to-get variety is as enticing as it sounds, featuring large, funnel-shaped flowers in a dusky shade of mocha-pink. Among flowers, it ranks as one the most memorable, both in appearance and color. Due to their prolific nature, morning glories are suited for raised beds, where they scramble eagerly up trellises. 

9. Hot Cocoa Rose

Hot Cocoa™ Rose is a floribunda that is a curious shade of red, tinged with a smoky chocolate undertone. Compared to other roses, it's relatively low-maintenance and pest-free. Its unusual color is a perfect balance to plants with more burgundy hues. While it may not smell like chocolate, it is often said to have a spicy, cinnamon-like scent. 

10. Hollyhock 'Rosa Nigra' 

A favorite of gardeners that have been in cultivation for nearly four centuries, these dapper flowers will grace your garden with near-black mahogany flowers. Believed to bring good fortune, hollyhocks are grown by gardeners who want to court luck in their gardens. Most of the old-fashioned varieties are biennial and will not bloom until the second year. They are also self-seeders, so you probably won’t need to replant them. 

11. Cinnamon Basil 

There is no such thing as ‘chocolate basil’ – any account is likely apocryphal. However, there is a variety of basil known as cinnamon basil that features purple stems topped with beautiful pinkish-purple flowers. As the name implies, it boasts a distinctive cinnamon scent, adding a spicy-sweet note to teas, desserts, salads, and Asian dishes. 

12. Chocolate cosmos

Rounding out the list is the chocolate cosmos, which, in accordance with its moniker, produces deep, cherry-red blossoms that are cocoa scented. It is light sensitive, needing full sun and 12 hours of darkness; it blooms best in late summer. Chocolate cosmos looks wonderful interspersed with wispy native plants and is a great flower for cut bouquets.