A native to Mexico this gorgeous herbaceous perennial produces stems up to 100cm tall topped with dark red to brownish red flowers having a scent resembling chocolate. The 7–15 cm long, pinnate foliage grows from a thick fleshy tuberous root which many recommend lifting for the winter and storing in the same way you would dahlia tubers. We have found this not to be so down in the South of England if given a well drained soil and a thick mulch for the winter. New shoots usually appear anytime from late April to late May and growth is rapid.
The blooms are produced in summer and it can often continue flowering right into Autumn until the fist heavy frosts cut it back to the ground. It is not fussy about soil PH as long as it is not heavily wet in winter and it is in a full sun position.
Sent as a young plant in a 9cm pot. May be cut back for shipping. Sent as dormant plants in winter.
Photo by By Björn Appel - self made by Björn Appel, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=250892