One of our most powerful, but often overlooked, senses may be our sense of smell. The invisible nature of this sense makes it easy to discount how a burst of fragrance from peonies can change the whole experience of your garden. In this article, we will introduce you to some fragrant bushes that make your landscape more exciting.
Why scent matters
The power of smell
Our olfactory sense is constantly at work taking in and processing aromas. Whether we are enjoying the pleasurable fragrance of azaleas or sniffing out something malodorous such as boxwood, our noses smell it all.
In fact, because our sense of smell is so closely tied to our memories and emotions, just a whiff of a specific fragrance can impact a person’s mood. The fragrant flowers of a blooming magnolia tree may bring back fond childhood memories of grandma’s house.
Why do plants produce fragrance?
The role of fragrance varies from plant to plant.
- Plants may use aroma if they want to attract something. Generally, fragrance attracts pollinators to the flowers to help create viable seeds.
- Plants also give off a malodorous smell if they wish to repel something harmful. The odor chases away insects or other animals that would like to otherwise make a meal out of the plant.
Most fragrant bushes
White forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum)
This underappreciated shrub features white to light pink flowers that open up from purple buds in the early spring. The blooms smell of sweet honey almond and should be placed in the background as the plant is not very attractive when not in bloom.
Plant type: Perennial shrub
Maintenance: Low
Soil drainage: Good drainage
Zones: 4 to 8 but not widely grown
Blooming season: Early spring (March-April)
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Winterhazel (Corylopsis glabrescens)
Pale yellow flowers bloom from bare branches in the early spring on this shrub. The sweetly scented flowers give way to green leaves in summer, then the leaves turn orange and red in the fall.
Plant type: Shrub
Maintenance: Low
Soil drainage: Good, moist
Zones: 5-8
Blooming season: Early spring (March)
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Sweet box (Sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis)
The small creamy-white blooms of this shrub emit a hard-to-miss sweet vanilla scent. The fragrant flowers then give way to shiny red berries that transition to black throughout the summer. This shrub needs lots of shade or the afternoon sun will discolor the foliage.
Plant type: Ground cover, broadleaf evergreen shrub
Maintenance: Low
Soil drainage: Good, moist
Zones: 6-9
Blooming season: Late winter (January-February)
Light: Partial to full shade
Korean spice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii)
This beauty shines year-round. Its springtime red buds bloom into showy pink flowers in snowball-like clusters that pour out a spicy-sweet fragrance. As spring continues into summer, its petals fade from pink to white. The blooms give way to bright red fruits that ripen to black in the late summer. In the fall, the shrub’s dark green leaves turn deep red or burgundy.
Plant type: Evergreen perennial shrub
Maintenance: Low
Soil drainage: Good
Zones: 4-7
Blooming season: Early spring (March-April)
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Banana shrub (Magnolia figo)
These cream-colored blooms feature a touch of crimson around the edges and emit a sweet smell of bananas. The drought-tolerant banana shrub is often thought of as a miniature Southern magnolia and blooms sporadically throughout the summer.
Plant type: Broadleaf evergreen shrub
Maintenance: Low
Soil drainage: Good
Zones: 7-10
Blooming season: Late spring into early summer (April-June)
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius)
This sweet-smelling ornamental shrub produces white blooms in cups that resemble the shape of an orange blossom, giving it its commonly used name – mock orange. When in bloom, this shrub is very attractive, but it is rather unremarkable the rest of the year.
Plant type: Perennial shrub
Maintenance: Low to medium
Soil drainage: Good
Zones: 4-8
Blooming season: Late spring into early summer (May-June)
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Mexican orange blossom (Choisya ternata)
Mexican orange blossoms are known for their fragrant white flowers. This evergreen shrub blooms intermittently throughout the summer and even into the fall. Its leaves emit an orange fragrance when crushed.
Plant type: Evergreen shrub
Maintenance: Medium
Soil drainage: Good, moist
Zones: 7-10
Blooming season: Late spring into early fall (May-September)
Light: Full sun
Winter Daphne (Daphne odora)
The pale pink flowers of this evergreen give off a gentle, sweet, spicy scent. Butterflies are attracted to the nectar of this winter blooming shrub. It’s a great option for climates that often go back and forth from warm days to cold days.
Plant type: Evergreen shrub
Maintenance: Medium
Soil drainage: Good, moist, occasionally dry
Zones: 7-9
Blooming season: Winter (February to early March)
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Carolina Allspice (Calycanthus floridus)
Large fragrant purple flowers begin to bloom on this shrub from mid-April to mid-May and into July. This shrub’s blossoms have a sweet, spicy, and fruity scent that intensifies in higher temperatures. When crushed, the leaves also release an aroma, and the bark can be used as a cinnamon substitute.
Plant type: Shrub
Maintenance: Medium
Soil drainage: Good, moist, occasional flooding, occasionally dry
Zones: 4-9
Blooming season: Spring (April-May)
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Lavender (Lavandula)
Lavender is known for its small violet flowers that emit a strong floral aroma and has an herbal element similar to rosemary. The whole plant is fragrant and can be grown in a rock garden, pollinator garden, or edible garden. It is commonly used in perfumes, soaps, and lotions or in teas.
Plant type: Shrub, herb, perennial
Maintenance: Medium
Soil drainage: Good, occasionally dry
Zones: 5-9
Blooming season: Summer (June-August)
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Location matters
Knowing what fragrant shrubs to plant is only half the battle. You should choose the location wisely to take advantage of these amazing fragrances. Here are some tips:
- Naturally, you don’t want to put a fragrant plant out in the corner of your garden where no one can appreciate its sweet scent. Leave your more visually stimulating but non-fragrant plants to the spaces people can only see.
- Plant flowering shrubs like honeysuckle or gardenia closer to the house or along walkways.
- Be sure to include some fragrant blooms near outdoor seating. Think about sitting outside enjoying a beautiful spring sunset while savoring the sweet smell of blooming magnolias.
- Bring the outdoors inside by planting lilacs under a bedroom window to enjoy some of spring’s sweet scents from inside the house.
- Place plants such as rosemary near a busy pathway where passersby can enjoy a burst of fragrance.
- Layering scents throughout your landscape rather than clumping them in one spot will help to spread the sweet scents throughout your property and to separate any potentially competing scents.
- Keep in mind which way the wind typically blows across your landscape and plant accordingly.
Final word
Let your nose have a say in what you plant and create a landscape that’s irresistible to both your eyes and your nose. Need help choosing the right plants? Let our Lawn Love pros help.
Main photo credit: congerdesign | Pixabay
