(Cosmos astrosanguineus) Compact rosettes of beautiful foliage give way to airy sprays of delicate wine-red to purply-black blooms to 30". Petals display a variety of shapes from elegant and slender to full and broad, but all with the distinctively sumptuous and irresistible scent of chocolate.
Highly anticipated and a game changer in its category, this is part of the first wave of Chocolate Cosmos to become available in the market that can be propagated from seeds. The species is native to high-elevation pine and oak forests in central Mexico, and despite some claims of it being extinct in the wild, it has been found abundantly in recent botanical field surveys of the states of Guanajuato, Querétaro, and San Luis Potosí.
So called on account of its amazing cocoa-y to vanilla scent, chocolate cosmos was introduced to the plant trade by British company Thompson and Morgan in the late 19th century but was only able to be propagated from cuttings. The first versions which produced and could be propagated by seed came from New Zealand breeder Keith Hammett (of sweet pea breeding fame) only about 10-15 years ago, and have only just started to be available in the market. Our initial seed was generously shared by Marie of Chocolate Flower Farm, here in Langley, WA and is sold elsewhere in Europe under the name "Black Magic" for up to $3.00 per seed. We've decided to just give it the generic name "Chocolate Cosmos" until we spend some time selecting and working with the plant's distinctive forms. 24-30" with stem. Tender perennial grows back from tubers.
90-100 days. UO

Packet: 20 seeds

*We have struggled recently to produce a harvest of this seed with high germination rates. Since it is still quite a rare seed, we have decided to continue to sell it, raising our packet size to 20 seeds (from 12) to compensate for a low germination rate of 71% on this year's lot.

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Growing Info

SOWING:

Sow indoors 4-6 weeks before your last frost.

Transplant out after last frost.

Note: Smells like chocolate! Tender perennial that returns from tubers in warmer climates.

PLANTING DEPTH:

1/8-1/4"

SPACING:

8-12" in rows, 12-15" apart.

EMERGENCE:

7-14 days @ soil temp 65-75F

LIGHT:

Full sun

FERTILITY:

Average. Prefers well-drained and evenly moist soil.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Dependable, care-free, and long-blooming, especially if you take care to deadhead.

Pinch at 8" to encourage branching.

Requires very little, save for your admiration.

Has returned yearly in Zone 7

Harvest stems at bud break and expect a vase life of 5-7 days.

Cosmos, 'Chocolate'