A member of the daisy family, Cosmos atrosanguineus , is a tuberous-rooted perennial, and is commonly known as Chocolate Cosmos.

It has single blossoms a rich, dark purple-red in colour and the same shape as other cultivated daisies, bright green, deeply lobed leaves, and it smells of chocolate. The fragrance isn’t overly strong, but it is unmistakeable and very, very pleasant.

Chocolate Cosmos requires full sun and regular but not excessive moisture to grow well and may yield a plant of up to 30 inches in size. In the northern hemisphere, it flowers from June to December, in the southern, November to January. Like dahlias, the tubers should be lifted in winter in areas prone to frost, although for ease, it can be grown in a container and brought into a sheltered garage or shed for over-wintering.