Growing With Science Blog

Shiny green bees like this are called sweat bees, family Halictidae.

For more extensive information about the sweat bee life cycle.

I broke open a seed pod this morning and found these tiny, funny-looking seeds.

The plant is another desert specialist. Have you ever seen these unusual seeds before?

Our mystery seeds from last week grow into a plant that is very popular in the Southwest. You might wonder why, because it looks like a regular flower.

The plant is so sought-after because the flowers smell like warm chocolate, giving it the common name “chocolate flower” or “chocolate daisy,” Berlandiera lyrata.

The flower buds are quite unusual. They start out flat and green, and then the “petals” begin to emerge.

The buds open into daisy-like flowers. Chocolate flowers are members of the aster family.

Native to the southwestern United States, they don’t need much water to grow.

Chocolate flowers are low-growing perennials that are perfect for a scent garden, or a butterfly garden because they also attract butterflies.

As you can imagine, children love them.

Have you ever smelled a chocolate flower?