Helianthus annuus 'Chocolate' is a Half-Hardy Annual and one of the most distinctive and most admired of the dark-flowered sunflower varieties — part of a group of cultivars selected specifically for their deep, rich, mahogany-brown to near-black colouring, which represents the highest concentration of anthocyanin pigmentation achievable in the Helianthus annuus genus. It is a tall, single-flowered, branching variety producing multiple blooms per plant throughout summer.

The Colour Explained: The deep mahogany-brown colouring of 'Chocolate' is produced by an exceptionally high concentration of anthocyanin pigments in the ray florets — the same family of pigments responsible for the dark tones in Ring of Fire's base, Blue Solaise leeks in frost, and red cabbage. In 'Chocolate', the anthocyanin concentration is at the maximum achievable in a sunflower, producing a near-black depth in certain lights and a rich, warm velvet-brown in direct sunlight. The colour is most intense and most saturated in the first days of opening, gradually warming and fading slightly as the flower ages — a quality that gives each stem a natural, living quality in the vase.

Comparing the Three Sunflowers: The Bishy Barnabee's sunflower range now spans the full tonal spectrum of the genus — 'Teddy Bear' at the warm golden end, 'Ring of Fire' in the dramatic bicolour middle, and 'Chocolate' at the dark, brooding extreme. Growing all three together creates the most complete and most visually sophisticated sunflower display available from seed, with the three varieties complementing rather than competing with each other across height, form, and colour.

Wildlife Value: As a single-flowered variety with a fully open disc, 'Chocolate' is as pollinator-friendly as Ring of Fire — bees and hoverflies visit the central disc freely, and the seed heads that follow provide a valuable autumn and winter food source for seed-eating birds. The dark colouring of the flower appears to make no practical difference to pollinator behaviour.

'Chocolate' is grown in exactly the same way as Ring of Fire — same sowing window, same spacing, same staking advice — with the same individual-pot principle that applies to all sunflower varieties.

How to Sow:
Sow indoors from late March to April in individual 7–9cm pots, one seed per pot approximately 1–2cm deep. The taproot develops quickly and resents disturbance — individual pot sowing produces dramatically better transplants than tray sowing. Maintain a temperature of 18–22°C. Germination typically occurs within 7–10 days. For direct outdoor sowing, sow in final positions after the last frost from late April to May, thinning to one plant per position.

Transplanting:
Plant out after the last frost from late May to early June after thorough hardening off. Space plants 45–60cm apart. Full sun is essential for the deepest, most saturated petal colouring — plants grown in partial shade produce flowers with noticeably less colour intensity. In exposed positions, stake at planting time with a sturdy cane to protect the tall stems from wind damage later in the season.

Ongoing Care:
Water consistently during dry spells and feed with a balanced liquid fertiliser fortnightly from bud formation. For cut flower production, pinch out the central terminal bud at 60–70cm to encourage lateral branching and a longer succession of cut stems. The dark petals of 'Chocolate' photograph most beautifully in the golden light of early morning or late afternoon — worth planning for if growing for photography or social media content alongside cut flower use.

End of Season:
Allow the final seed heads to mature fully on the plant through autumn — the seeds are a significant food source for goldfinches, greenfinches, and sparrows through the lean winter months. The dried stems and seed heads also have considerable ornamental value in the winter garden, particularly when frosted.

The deep, velvety mahogany of 'Chocolate' works most powerfully against pale, cool, and airy companions — these plants from our range create the most striking and most sophisticated contrasts with its dark tones:

• 🌸 Ammi Majus: The Essential White Foil. If Ring of Fire needs Ammi Majus, 'Chocolate' is entirely dependent on it. The delicate white lace of Ammi Majus umbels against the near-black mahogany petals of Chocolate sunflowers is one of the most striking and most photogenic combinations in the cutting garden — maximum contrast between two plants of completely different scale, texture, and colour, united by the shared character of the late summer border. In the vase this pairing is simply outstanding: a dark Chocolate sunflower stem surrounded by a cloud of white Ammi is the arrangement that stops people in a room, and it could not be simpler to assemble. In the border, Ammi prevents the dark sunflower from becoming visually heavy and fills the mid-ground with the lightness and movement the planting needs.
• 🌀 Echinops 'Veitch's Blue': The Steel Blue Complement. The steel-blue globe heads of Echinops against the near-black mahogany of 'Chocolate' is one of the most sophisticated dark-toned colour pairings in the late summer garden — both flowers are structural and spherical in form but entirely different in colour, texture, and scale. The steel-blue reads as cool and architectural against the warm, velvety darkness of the sunflower, creating a combination that is simultaneously dramatic and refined. Both are outstanding for pollinators, both dry beautifully, and together in a dried winter arrangement they retain the same visual power as they had when freshly cut.
• 🌼 Borage: The Luminous Contrast. The electric blue of Borage flowers against the near-black mahogany of 'Chocolate' is perhaps the most surprising and most visually arresting combination in the entire Bishy Barnabee's range — the blue appears almost luminous, almost artificial in its vividness, against the darkness of the sunflower behind it. This is the complementary colour relationship at its most extreme: cool, small, and brilliant against warm, large, and deep. Borage's loose, sprawling habit and prolific flowering make it a generous and beautiful underplanting for the tall sunflowers, and its sustained nectar production ensures the border remains alive with bees from June right through to October.
• 🧡 Calendula 'Art Shades Mixed': The Warm Grounding. Where the other companions provide cool contrast to 'Chocolate', Calendula Art Shades provides warm harmony — the apricot, cream, and amber tones of the Calendula at mid-height sitting in the same warm colour family as the sunflower's mahogany tones, creating a rich, autumnal palette of considerable depth and warmth. This combination works particularly well in late August and September when the Calendula is at its most richly coloured and the sunflowers are at the peak of their season — a warm, glowing, entirely coherent planting that captures the essence of the late summer garden at its most beautiful.

Sow indoors from late March for the earliest flowers in July — then enjoy three months of deep, velvety, near-black blooms at the back of the border and in the vase through August and September.