Chocolate Lilies
As I was walking through Foster’s Botanical Gardens, I kept getting whiffs of warm chocolate — the delicate, expensive, buttery kind.  I figured it was coming from one of the shops across the street, especially since I caught the scent much more consistently as I approached the Vineyard Boulevard boundary of the garden.

Then I saw the most incredible flowering bush and approached it for a closer look — and smell. This is the source of that rich, though subtle, buttery, warm-chocolate scent! Tree Lilies, Portlandia dominensis, a slow growing, flowering bush native to Cuba and Jamaica.
All the trumpets point downward, so I did what any self-respecting photographer would do — I laid down on the ground and took a picture! Â It was approaching noon, the sun was straight over head and shining very brightly through the foliage. Â I couldn’t get a clear sharp image focus that didn’t wash out the edges of the petal, so I decided instead to go for this soft focus shot — and I love it.

In case you’re wondering why I didn’t wiggle a bit further under the bush for a more shaded shot, I had already stretched out on freshly watered, still wet lawn. Any further under the tree and I would be in  mud.  I guess, that means I am more dedicated to my car’s interior than I am to my photography.  Alas.
34 Comments
Regardless it ‘s a beautiful picture.
.-= Thena´s last blog ..Mama’s Journey =-.
Thena — thank you!
A flower’s scent earns it fame
But it can’t pay to blog its name.
.-= Doug´s last blog ..The Reformation of Wolfshausen =-.
Doug — I am not ALL about money!
Wow, such a photo, and I can imagine the fragrance! That tree sounds like heaven.
I grow chocolate mint in one of our polytunnels, and in the spring when the leaves are small an dnew I put a stem or two in my coffee. Wonderful stuff.
.-= Susan at Stony River´s last blog ..Scenic Sunday, country living. =-.
Susan — I hadn’t had breakfast and noon was fast approaching. That tree was making me hungry!
Just beautiful. I’ve never been there. LOL
.-= Thom´s last blog ..Sunday Stealing – The Magical Mystery Tour Meme =-.
Thom — there are many incredible and amazing things to see. It is a great $4.00 investment. Take a picnic lunch and the kids.
I’m sure the kids wouldn’t be into that. LOL
.-= Thom´s last blog ..Happy Halloween: Tag Your It =-.
Wow! Quilly, sacrificing your body for art! It was definitely worth it though. What a stunning photo. And I can almost smell the chocolate from your description.
That’s it. I want to visit Hawaii again. Unfortunately there are these 2 freeloaders around here that would want to come with me. Kids! Harumph!
.-= southlakesmom´s last blog ..More Imaginative Plates =-.
Kelley — my sister used to say her money would go a lot further if her kids would kick their habit of eating three meals every day!
So, send the kids off to camp for a week. That’s what Gram used to do when I was a kid and she wanted to travel. 😉
haha. I got a kick out of southlakesmom’s comment about her freeloading kids. Cute!
The photos are truly beautiful. I think the last time I visited the garden was in the late 1970s or early 1980s. I should go back and do a photo essay for my blog. What a trip!
.-= gigi-hawaii´s last blog ..Book sales, a/c, leaky roof, Hong Kong =-.
Gigi — Foster Botanical Garden is one of my favorite places on the island — mostly because it is so accessible to the places I live my everyday life.
BEAUTIFUL!!
And did somebody say … chocolate? ♥
.-= kcinnova´s last blog ..Beauty =-.
Karen – -well, I didn’t taste them, but they certainly smelled like expensive chocolate.
So delicate looking! My husband keeps thinking he smells melting chocolate in his truck. He’s absolutely sure that Libby spilled some in there somewhere. I’m sure he does not have anything as pretty as those lilies growing in there…
.-= Cindy´s last blog ..View From Our Back Yard =-.
Considering some of the smells that have worked their way into my rigs, I’m thinking I could live with the melting chocolate odor.
You’re better than I! I wouldn’t have been down on the wet grass! Nope… I admit it… THIS is why I don’t get the fabulous shots!
.-= Melli´s last blog ..Six Word Saturday – First Time! =-.
Melli — sometimes I won’t get down on the groundd, either, but I was pretty much alone in the park.
Too bad they weren’t edible!
Gorgeous picture!
(And if you’d lain in the mud, people would have believed you if you said you were taking pictures of chocolate!)
.-= Mocha with Linda´s last blog ..Peace =-.
Linda — they may have been, but I have been taught not to taste test unknown plants!
Love LOVE those photos. Warm chocolate, eh? Mmmmm…. sounds wonderful! Thanks for the reminder to go see Foster Gardens. I haven’t been there in years.
.-= Musings´s last blog ..Steve: Our Master Carpenter =-.
Kay — I love it there. A little spot of serenity in the madness of the city.
I think the shots turend out to be beautiful!
And no, thanks, no such tree in my yard.
That would make me grave chocolate all the time 😀
.-= Nicole´s last blog ..Waleed, the hair dersser – Engrish lesson part 6 =-.
Grave Chocolate, Nicole? Now there’s some Engrish — or a wonderful Freudian slip!
What a beautiful flower and on top it’s smells good ! I have never seen such !
.-= Gattina´s last blog .. =-.
Gattina — visit Jamaica or Cuba — or Hawaii — and you’ll get to see such!
What a beautiful bush, I would love to smell it. 🙂
.-= Akelamalu´s last blog ..Sunday Night Fever…… =-.
Akelamalu — well, you can visit Jamaica, Cuba or Hawaii, and blooming season appears to be October. 😉
You’d think the lily would be cocoa in color with such a rich smell!!
.-= Church Lady´s last blog ..A Dog’s Day =-.
Church Lady — it is the color of Cocoa butter — and smells very much like it, too.
wow. vanilla coloured, chocolate scented trumpets.
i adore the soft focus shot and appreciate your sacrifice to get it 😉
.-= polona´s last blog ..symmetry with a flaw =-.
This is getting better every day. Now I’m going to Hawaii and smell Belgian chocolate while photographing beautiful flowers. I had a plant that looks lioke this one once, but it did not smell like chocolate. Probably because it lived in belgium eh? Hmmmm….
I can’t imagine a flower smelling like chocolate — talk about inspiring cravings! Both shots are lovely.
.-= Barbara H.´s last blog ..Friday’s Fave Five =-.
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