Bring rich color, velvety texture, and delicious fragrance to the garden with this captivating perennial.
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Looking for something unusual to grow in the garden?
Look no further than chocolate cosmos, a tuberousperennialwith velvety blooms and a decadent fragrance.
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Chocolate Cosmos Care
Chocolate cosmos are native to Mexico and thrive in sunshine and warm soil.
They are fairly drought tolerant once established and dont require much pampering.
Chocolate cosmos make a great addition to cottage gardens, butterfly plantings, cutting gardens, and containers.
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Light
Chocolate cosmos perform best with all day sun.
Plant them in a location receiving at least 6 hours of direct sun per day.
Soil
Good drainage is essential for maintaining healthy chocolate cosmos.
Plant them in sandy or loamy soil with average fertility and good drainage.
Water
Chocolate cosmos tolerate dry conditions once established, but thrive with regular irrigation.
Avoid overwatering plants as wet soil encourages root rot.
Wait for the soil to dry slightly before watering.
Temperature And Humidity
The fragrance of these heat-loving plants is most pronounced on warm sunny days.
Plants go dormant during cold weather.
Humidity is not a problem for chocolate cosmos.
Fertilizer
Chocolate cosmos are light feeders.
Avoid over feeding plants, which encourages foliage to grow at the expense of blooms.
With the rediscovery of wild populations, new introductions of seed-producing varieties have been made.
Watch for more introductions in the coming years as breeding efforts begin to yield results.
‘Cherry Chocolate’
This variety introduces a unique color among chocolate cosmos with its cherry-red blooms.
‘Cherry Chocolate’ cosmos produces larger flowers than those of traditional chocolate cosmos while retaining the beloved chocolate scent.
The blooms are larger than traditional varieties and the plants have a more compact habit.
Flowers are burgundy to almost black in color.
Maroon flowers are held on thin but sturdy stems.
Tubers are swollen underground organs produced by the plants root system.
They serve as a place for plants to store water and nutrients.
Chocolate cosmos tubers are sold in late winter to early spring, when the plants are still dormant.
Plant tubers in outdoor containers or garden beds after the threat of frost has passed.
Space tubers 12-18 apart in loose, well-draining soil.
Cover tubers with soil and water well.
Keep soil evenly moist but not wet.
Plants can take several weeks to emerge.
Still, purchasing seeds is cheaper than buying tubers.
And growing plants from seed opens the door to greater genetic diversity.
For outdoor sowing, select a planting bed in full sun with loose, well-draining soil.
Prepare planting beds by turning the upper 8 inches of soil.
Amend with compost as needed and rake the surface smooth.
Sow seeds 4 inches apart and 14 inch deep.
If planting in rows for cuttings, space rows 12 inches apart.
Keep soil evenly moist but not wet.
Seedlings grown indoors can be transplanted into the garden or outdoor containers after the threat of frost has passed.
Plants will notsuccessfully overwinter in heavy or poorly drained soil.
Cut the foliage back to the ground in fall after it has turned yellow.
Treat them much like dahlia tubers, storing them in a cool, dry location.
Replant tubers outdoors in spring after the threat of frost has passed.
see to it to slowly harden off (acclimate) plants started indoors to avoid transplant shock.
Tubers that are dug for winter storage can be separated into starts at the time of digging.
Separate clumps of tubers into smaller sections, making sure each tuber has one or more eyes.
In locations where tubers grow outdoors year-round, tubers can be dug and divided in fall or spring.
Pruning
Young chocolate cosmos plants benefit from pinching back early the growing season.
Pinch out the growing tip of plants when they reach a height of 8 inches.
This will promote branching and produce a fuller plant.
Deadhead plants after flowering to lengthen the bloom season.
Deadheading encourages chocolate cosmos plants to produce more flower buds, keeping plants productive.
None of these cause serious problems in chocolate cosmos.
As with many garden plants, aphids occasionally cause problems on chocolate cosmos.
Dislodge aphids from plants using a heavy stream of water or treat with horticultural soap or oil.
Planting in a soil with good drainage is the best way to prevent root rot.
Chocolate cosmos dont require a lot of pampering.
If plants are not flowering well, it may be a sign that you are over fertilizing.
If you see lush foliage but few flowers, cut back on fertilizer.
The most common problem is over watering.
Foliage of plants receiving too much water may turn yellow or even wilt.
Remember to allow soil to dry between waterings and use your finger to check soil moisture.
