Flowers and Plants
Gardening Guides
Central Plains Gardening
Flowers of ‘Berlandiera Lyrata’ Surprise With a Subtle Chocolate Scent
This heat- and drought-tolerant Southern Plains native offers up daisy-like yellow blooms from spring to first frost
Lyreleaf greeneyes (Berlandiera lyrata), also known as chocolate flower, wafts its earthy-sweet chocolaty fragrance all summer, brightening landscapes with its daisy-like yellow flowers and lime-green seed heads. This long-lived, easy-care wildflower also feeds pollinators, especially native bees and songbirds.
Not in the Southern Plains? Browse plants native to other regions of the U.S.
Not in the Southern Plains? Browse plants native to other regions of the U.S.
Benefits and tolerances: Lyreleaf greeneyes has a long bloom period, and is deer- and rabbit-resistant. Its flowers attract native bees and small beetles, and wintering sparrows and finches eat its seeds.
Seasonal interest: Fragrant daisy-like flowers from spring to first frost (May in the south and early June farther north); chartreuse seed heads in late summer and fall
When to plant: Spring through fall for seeds; fall for plants
When to plant: Spring through fall for seeds; fall for plants
Distinguishing traits. Lyreleaf greeneyes is in the daisy family. The composite flowers stand out among the thousands of species of native daisies because of their fragrance — which is strongest early in the morning — and because they are single at the top of each tall stalk. Seen up close, each yellow ray flower (the petal-like flowers around the edge of each composite bloom) is striped by burgundy veins on the back, and each disk flower (those in the center of the head) is burgundy as well. The disk-like seed heads are also quite unusual, and the plant’s leaves vary wildly from simple narrow ovals to leaves with intricately undulating edges.
The genus name honors Jean-Louis Berlandier, a French naturalist, physician and plant collector who botanized extensively in what was the Republic of Texas in the early 1800s.
The genus name honors Jean-Louis Berlandier, a French naturalist, physician and plant collector who botanized extensively in what was the Republic of Texas in the early 1800s.
How to use it. Allow lyreleaf greeneyes to naturalize in xeric meadows or prairie plantings. The plant also naturalizes through self-seeding but is not invasive or aggressive. It shines in hot, dry locations like sunny parkways or south-facing terraces. To make the most of its beguiling fragrance, put it in the front of borders or in raised beds. Give it maximum punch by planting in clumps or drifts.
The rosettes of narrowly oval to lyre-shaped leaves form a soft green mound that adds textural interest as a ground cover.
The flower heads have been used as a seasoning in making sausage and pemmican.
The rosettes of narrowly oval to lyre-shaped leaves form a soft green mound that adds textural interest as a ground cover.
The flower heads have been used as a seasoning in making sausage and pemmican.
The yellow flower heads and sage-green foliage of lyreleaf greeneyes pair well with the magenta flowers and mounding form of native Colorado four o’clock (Mirabilis multiflora), shown, as well as with spreading phloxes.
They also make a lovely combination with artemisias, both spreading and shrubby, especially those with fine foliage, such as prairie sagewort (Artemisia frigida) and sand sagebrush (A. filifolia), shown.
Planting notes. To produce more flowers or control reseeding, mow or deadhead in summer after the first wave of blooms.
More
Browse plants native to other regions of the U.S.
20 Favorite Flowers for Butterflies and Bouquets
Planting notes. To produce more flowers or control reseeding, mow or deadhead in summer after the first wave of blooms.
More
Browse plants native to other regions of the U.S.
20 Favorite Flowers for Butterflies and Bouquets
Common names: Lyreleaf greeneyes, chocolate flower, chocolate daisy
Origin: Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma south to central Mexico, including Texas, New Mexico and Arizona
Where it will grow: Hardy to minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 31.7 degrees Celsius (USDA zones 4 to 9; find your zone)
Water requirement: No water is needed once established. Too much water or soil that’s too rich will cause root rot.
Light requirement: Full sun
Soil requirement: The plant prefers dry, gravelly or sandy soils with no amendments.
Mature size: 12 to 14 inches tall and 12 to 16 inches wide