Plants for Fragrance

Plants for Fragrance

Color, texture and form make for an interesting garden or container, no doubt, but it is incomplete without plants that add the sensual element of smell. Plants with fragrant foliage often need to be brushed against to release their scent; scented flowers are usually trying to attract pollinators by their perfume, hence release it more widely. Warmth and humidity will often increase flowers’ scent.

Below are some of our favorite plants that do double duty by providing heavenly fragrance. Plants that provide fragrance at night or in winter are noted.

Annuals

Common Name Botanical Name Comments

Flowers? Foliage? Night ? ? Winter Alyssum Alyssum maritima ⩗ Four-o’clock Mirabilis jalapa ⩗ ⩗ Heliotrope Heliotropium arborescens ⩗ Likes warmth Madia Madia elegens ⩗ Pineapple-scented Moonflower Ipomoea alba ⩗ ⩗ Night-blooming morning glory Nicotiana (some) Nicotiana ⩗ ⩗ Check tags for fragrant varieties Pansy, Viola (some) Viola ⩗ ⩗ Yellow & orange best for scent Phlox, Night-Scented Zalusianskya capensis ⩗ ⩗ Primrose (some) Primula ⩗ ⩗ Yellow flowers best for scent Stock Matthiola incarna ⩗ Stock, Night-Scented Matthiola longipetala ⩗ ⩗ Sweet Pea (most) Lathyrus odoratus ⩗ Check tags for fragrant varieties

Bulbs

Common Name Botanical Name Comments

Flowers? Foliage? Night ? ? Winter Acidanthera Acidanthera murielae ⩗ Tender; grown as annual Belladonna Lily Amaryllis belladonna ⩗ Blooms in fall on bare stalks Crocus (some) Crocus crysanthus, C. ⩗ ⩗ Check packages for fragrant sieboldii varieties Daffodil (some) Narcissus spp. ⩗ Check packages for fragrant varieties Freesia Freesia ⩗ Tender; grown as annual Grape Hyacinth Muscari armeniacum ⩗ Hyacinth Hyacinthus ⩗ Can “force” indoors for winter Hymenocallis Hymenocallis ⩗ Iris (some) Iris spp. ⩗ Check tags for fragrant varieties Lily (some) Lilium spp. ⩗ ⩗ Check tags for fragrant varieties Lily-of-the-Valley Convallaria majalis ⩗ Paperwhites Narcissus ⩗ ⩗ Grow indoors for winter Tuberose Polianthes ⩗ ⩗ Tender; grown as annual

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fragrant plants ______

Perennials and Herbs

Common Name Botanical Name Comments

Flowers? Foliage? Night ? ? Winter Anise Hyssop Agastache ⩗ Basil Ocimum basilicum ⩗ Tender; grown as annual Bee Balm Monarda ⩗ Bugbane Actaea ⩗ Chamomile Chamaemelum nobile ⩗ Evergreen groundcover Cheddar Pink Dianthus gratianoplitanus ⩗ ⩗ Corsican Mint Mentha requienii ⩗ Groundcover Cosmos, Chocolate Cosmos atrosanguineus ⩗ Tender perennial Dianthus (some) Dianthus spp. ⩗ Evening Primrose Oenothera odorata ⩗ ⩗ Fennel Foeniculum ⩗ Geranium, Hardy Geranium spp. ⩗ (some) Geranium, Scented Pelargonium ⩗ Tender; grown as annual Hosta (some) Hosta ⩗ Lavender Lavandula ⩗ ⩗ ⩗ Foliage fragrant year-round Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis ⩗ ⩗ Lemon Verbena Aloysia triphylla ⩗ Tender herb Lupin (some) Lupinus mutabilis ⩗ Mint Mentha ⩗ Peony (most) Paeonia spp. ⩗ Phlox Phlox ⩗ Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis ⩗ ⩗ ⩗ Foliage fragrant year-round Russian Sage Perovskia ⩗ Sage Salvia officinalis ⩗ ⩗ ⩗ Foliage fragrant year-round Sweet Woodruff Galium odoratum ⩗ ⩗ Thyme Thymus spp. ⩗ ⩗ ⩗ Foliage fragrant year-round; different scents available Violet (most) Viola spp. ⩗ Wallflower Erysimum ⩗ ⩗ Wild Ginger (some) Asarum caudatum ⩗ Yarrow Achillea ⩗

Vines

Common Name Botanical Name Comments

Flowers? Foliage? Night ? ? Winter Clematis, Evergreen Clematis armandii ⩗ Clematis, Montana Clematis montana ⩗ Honeysuckle, most Lonicera spp. ⩗ Jasmine, most Jasminum spp. ⩗ Star Jasmine Trachelospermum ⩗ Wisteria Wisteria ⩗ ⩗

Sky Nursery • 18528 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA 98133 skynursery.com (206)-546-4851 • Rev. 1/30/20 • Page 2

fragrant plants ______

Shrubs & Trees

Common Name Botanical Name Comments

Flowers? Foliage? Night ? ? Winter Abelia Abelia x grandiflora ⩗ Amur Maple Acer ginnala ⩗ Azaleas, some Rhododendron spp. ⩗ See Sky’s Deciduous Azalea list Bay Laurel Laurus nobilis ⩗ ⩗ Box-leaf Azara Azara microphylla ⩗ Camellia, some Camellia spp. ⩗ ⩗ See Sky’s Camellia list Carolina Allspice Calycanthus ⩗ Daphne, winter Daphne odora ⩗ ⩗ Daphne, various Daphne spp. and hybrids ⩗ See Sky’s Daphne list Flowering Apricot Prunus mume ⩗ Many flowering cherries, etc., also have scented flowers Fringe Tree Chionanthus ⩗ Gardenia, Hardy Gardenia ⩗ Glory Bower Clerodendron ⩗ ⩗ Peanut-butter scented foliage Incense Cedar Calocedrus decurrens ⩗ Lilac, most Syringa spp. ⩗ See Sky’s Lilac list Magnolia, some Magnolia spp. ⩗ See Sky’s Magnolia list Mexican Orange Choisya ternata ⩗ Mock Orange Philadelphus spp. ⩗ Osmanthus Osmanthus spp. ⩗ Paper Bush Edgeworthia crysantha ⩗ ⩗ Pittosporum Pittosporum tobira ⩗ Rockrose Cistus ⩗ Roses, some Rosa spp. ⩗ See Sky’s Rose list Summersweet Clethra alnifolia ⩗ Sweet Box Sarcococca spp. ⩗ ⩗ Viburnum, Pink Viburnum x bodnantense ⩗ ⩗ Dawn Viburnum, Korean Viburnum carlesii ⩗ Spice Winter Hazel Corylopsis spp. ⩗ ⩗ Witch Hazel, most Hamamelis spp. ⩗ ⩗

Indoor and Patio Tropical Plants

Common Name Botanical Name Comments

Flowers? Foliage? Night ? ? Winter Angel’s Trumpet Brugmansia ⩗ ⩗ Citrus Citrus ⩗ Coffee Plant Coffea arabica ⩗ Gardenia Gardenia ⩗ ⩗ Hoya, some Hoya ⩗ Orchids, some Many varieties ⩗ Stephanotis Stephanotis floribunda ⩗

Sky Nursery • 18528 Aurora Avenue North, Shoreline, WA 98133 skynursery.com (206)-546-4851 • Rev. 1/30/20 • Page 3