Chocolate Lily

Chocolate lily (Arthropodium strictum, also listed as Dichopogon strictus) does something nothing else in the bed will do: the purple flowers smell of chocolate on a warm afternoon. It is a small tuberous perennial from south eastern Australia, about 50cm tall in flower and only 30cm across, so it slots into a rockery, a border or a pot without crowding anything.

Why you'll love it

• The scent is the point. Warm sun on an open flower releases a genuine chocolate and vanilla fragrance, strongest through the middle of the day.
• A true local native. It grows naturally through the grassy woodlands of the south east, and small native bees and butterflies work the open flowers.
• Tiny footprint. At roughly 30cm wide it fits between rocks, along a path edge or in a shallow container where a shrub would never work.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and content in poor soil, a rare combination in a plant this delicate looking.

Where it works best

Rockeries and gravel gardens. A grassy clump softens hard stone, and the sharp drainage a rockery gives is what the tubers want over their dormant period.

Mass planting, borders and edging. Plant 30cm apart. The clumps then read as a drift of grass through the year and a haze of purple in spring, the way the plant looks in the wild.

Pots and small gardens. A wide shallow pot brings the fragrance to nose height near a door or a seat. Group three or more per pot rather than planting singly.

Growing chocolate lily in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to very light shade. It is at home in warm temperate, cool temperate, Mediterranean and arid to semi-arid gardens, and being frost hardy it handles cold southern and tableland conditions. Humid tropical gardens are the wrong fit, because the tubers want a dry rest.

Soil. Free draining above everything else. Sandy or gravelly soil is ideal and poor soil is fine, so skip the rich compost. On clay, plant into a raised bed and use a light gravel mulch.

Water and feed. Water through the growing and flowering months, then ease right off as it dies down. Do not water a dormant clump. A light native fertiliser once in early spring is all it needs.

Dormancy. The foliage yellows and dies back over summer, which is normal rather than a failure. Leave it until it has withered, then cut it away. The clump reshoots with the first proper autumn rain.

What to expect when it arrives

Chocolate lily is supplied as tube stock, currently listed on backorder, so allow extra time before dispatch. A tube holds a young tuber with a small fan of grassy leaves, and because the plant is naturally small this is the sensible size to buy rather than a compromise.

A plant arriving during summer dormancy may look like little more than soil in a tube. That is the plant resting, not a dead one. Expect a modest first year and an established flowering clump by the second season. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Designing a native garden that attracts wildlife
• Browse the full Australian natives range
• Companions for a rockery
• Compare other fragrant plants

Common questions

Does it really smell like chocolate?

Yes, though you need warmth and an open flower. The scent is strongest in full sun through the middle of the day and fades in cool weather, so plant it where you walk or sit.

Why has my plant disappeared over summer?

Summer dormancy is part of its normal cycle. The top growth dies back completely and the tuber sits underground until autumn rain triggers new leaves. Mark the spot so you do not dig it out by mistake.

How far apart should I plant it?

Thirty centimetres apart gives a natural looking mass planting within two seasons. Closer and the clumps compete; much wider and the drift never reads as continuous.