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Plants that smell good


The 10 Best Smelling Plants for Your Garden

Where People Gather, the Scent Should be Sweet

By

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor

Lisa Hallett Taylor is an expert in architecture and landscape design who has written more than 1,000 articles about pool, patio, garden, and home improvement over 12 years. She has a bachelor's degree in Environmental Design and is certified in fine and decorative arts appraisal.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 02/16/21

The Spruce / Autumn Wood

Those hubs of activity outdoors—like patios, pools, and decks—are perfect places to add sweetly scented plants for ambiance. Forget the candles and citronella.—we're talking about fragrant plants that remind you and your guests why it's so enjoyable to be spending time outdoors instead of in.

Click Play to Learn How to Grow White Frangipani

What makes a plant's fragrance appealing—if not intoxicating—is highly subjective. For some, a lovely, sweet scent is better than any perfume, while, for others, something spicy and almost musky does it for them. Many plants' scents are intensified at night—all the more reason to relax outdoors under the stars. Plants are presented in no particular order. Enjoy the aromas of the sweet-smelling plants we've picked for your garden.

12 Fragrant Flowers for Your Garden

Pineapple Sage

1/13

If pineapple sage’s spiky red blooms don’t catch your attention, its sweet pineapple scent surely will. As a bonus, the green leaves can add tropical flavor to beverages, jams, and more. Available at Home Depot; $4.98 each.

Related: 10 Foolproof Flowers Anyone Can Grow

homedepot.com

Gardenia

2/13

Thanks to its sweet scent, gardenia is infused in perfumes all over the world. Gardenia plants can be grown both indoors and out, where their evergreen foliage and white flowers delightfully upgrade any landscape. Available on Amazon; $14.99.

Related: 10 Flowers That Attract Bees to Your Garden

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Jasmine Tobacco

3/13

While most varieties of nicotiana are fragrant, the scent of jasmine tobacco is particularly pronounced. The star-shaped flowers on this garden stunner are especially impressive at night, because their aroma grows stronger after dusk. Available on Amazon; $6 for 610 seeds.

Related: 10 Fast-Growing Plants for (Almost) Instant Curb Appeal

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Stargazer Lily

4/13

This showy flower's large, outward-facing blooms aim toward the sky—thus the name “stargazer.” In addition to its pleasant odor, homeowners love the lily’s strong stalks and pink-spotted flowers that bring vibrancy to gardens and containers alike. Available on Amazon; $14.25 for 12 bulbs. 

Related: The Best Places to Buy Plants Online

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'Scentsation' Honeysuckle

5/13

The tubular yellow flowers of 'Scentsation' honeysuckle bloom from mid-spring to late summer, when they give way to bright red berries. Consider adorning a trellis with the fragrant plant, or using it as a beautiful yet low-maintenance ground cover. Available at Home Depot; $30.89 for a one-gallon container. 

Related: 25 Plants for Your Easiest Garden Ever

homedepot.com

Four O’Clocks

6/13

This perennial’s name stems from its tendency to bloom late in the afternoon. Its lemony scent and vibrant color palette bring tropical vibes to any porch, patio, or yard. Available on Amazon; $6.99 for 0.25 lbs of seeds.

Related: 10 Affordable Landscaping Projects You Can DIY in a Day

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German Chamomile

7/13

With daisy-like flowers and an herbal scent, German chamomile adds a dainty element to any garden—and it provides a supply of homemade tea to boot. To ensure many steaming cuppas, grow the chamomile in well-draining soil with plenty of sunlight. Available on Amazon; $1.99 for 500+ seeds.

Related: 7 Houseplants with Secret Health Benefits

amazon.com

'Baby Moon' Daffodil

8/13

Considered a miniature daffodil because of its small size, 'Baby Moon' is perhaps the most fragrant plant in the daffodil family. Its golden-yellow flowers bring a sunny touch to any garden or container. Available on Amazon; $33 for 10 bulbs.

Related: These Popular Plants Might Actually Be Bad for Your Garden

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Tuberose

9/13

Grow this South American flower as an annual, and you’ll enjoy a season of exotic fragrance. The scent has been compared to everything from gardenias to vanilla to buttered popcorn. Available on Amazon; $9.95 for three extra-large bulb clumps.

Related: 7 Ways to Buy Yourself a Green Thumb for Under $40

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Freesia

10/13

Though freesia is available in multiple varieties and colors, every flower shares a pleasantly sweet aroma. That's why you’ll find freesia in countless soaps, perfumes, scented oils, and lotions. Available on Amazon; $11.90 for 60 bulbs.

Related: 10 Tiny Gardens You Can Grow on Your Windowsill

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Heliotrope

11/13

Heliotrope’s distinctive cherry and vanilla scent earned it the nickname “cherry pie plant.” Gardeners will enjoy its attractive green foliage and large clusters of tiny white or purple-hued buds that bloom in the summertime. Available on Amazon; $1.39 for 100 seeds.

Related: The Best Plants for Every Room of the House

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Chocolate Flower

12/13

Native to the southernmost regions of the United States and Mexico, this daisy-like flower (more formally known as lyreleaf greeneyes) radiates a cocoa smell. You’ll probably notice the scent mid-morning, before the afternoon sunlight causes the petals to close up. Available on Amazon; $6.49 for 50 seeds.

Related: 10 Outdoor DIYs You Can Do for a Dollar

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A Scent-sational Garden

13/13

A great smelling—and looking—garden doesn't have to be hard work if you use the right plants.

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AROMATIC HOUSEPLANTS

Fragrant houseplants are able to fill any room with an unrivaled scent. They can make the atmosphere more comfortable and pleasant. You can choose the right flowers, harmoniously fit them into the design of the room.

Any indoor plants are a great decor. However, in addition to the aesthetic function, they can also perform other, more useful ones. For example, they can purify the air of harmful elements, fill it with a wonderful aroma and protect against certain diseases. Often, homemade potted flowers are used for aromatherapy, stress relief and relaxation. nine0011
Today, you can buy indoor plants and flowers in our online store. On our website, you can find a unique home plant that is right for you.

There are flowering and non-flowering species. These can be flowers, bushy, fruit-bearing indoor trees, etc. A pleasant aroma can come not only from flowers, but also from leaves. Some plants begin to smell only when the petal is damaged. However, the smell is so strong that it quickly fills the entire room. Such species are often used for aromatherapy, as well as for calming and relaxing. nine0015

Home fragrant plants may not always emit a pleasant smell. For example, only during the flowering period or at certain times of the year and even days. There are also species that are able to reveal their aroma only at elevated air temperatures.

Fragrant houseplants: maintenance features
Exotic indoor plants and flowers allow you to enjoy the pleasant smell of your home all year round. However, if you put a few fragrant flowers in your house, then you need to consider that:

1. A well-ventilated room is suitable for fragrant plants, as a high concentration of odors can negatively affect well-being.
2. The intensity of the smell will depend on the temperature in the room.
3. If you put several fragrant plants, then their types must be selected so that the flowering of one begins after the other finishes flowering.
4. The bedroom is not the best place for such flowers, as many begin to smell stronger at night. nine0011 5. Many fragrant houseplants and flowers love warmth and light, so they are best placed on window sills that face south.
6. The aroma of plants is greatly influenced by ultraviolet light,
in order to emit a pleasant smell for as long as possible, you need to get fitolamps.

Potted houseplants can create complex scents that can improve your mood. It will be very good to combine a room rose with stephanotis, or an orchid with citrus fruits. nine0011

Citrus houseplants

It is not difficult to buy citrus indoor plants today, they fit well into the interior and create a wonderful atmosphere in it, and also fill the room with a pleasant aroma. Citrus plants in the home such as orange, lemon, mandarin or calamondin have a slightly refreshing scent. They are easy to care for, essential oils and phytoncides that are released have a beneficial effect on health and well-being. The most fragrant type of citrus is the Calamondin hybrid. nine0011

Common myrtle

Rumor has it that the myrtle tree can bring happiness, harmony and peace to the family. Such a cute tree can also fill the house with an amazing light, slightly sweet aroma that is incomparable to anything else. Myrtle loves the sun and warmth, as well as abundant watering. In order for the tree to grow well, it must be fertilized, transplanted and cut once a year. Thanks to pruning, you can give any shape. nine0011

Bouvardia longiflora

Home bouvardia outwardly resembles a shrub with numerous flowers and long petals. This flower emits the scent of jasmine. The most fragrant is the natural look. The plant should be kept in a bright place and watered abundantly. When the flowering period ends, it should be in a room where the temperature does not exceed +8.

Jasmine Gardenia

Gardenia jasmine, which is easy to care for at home, is an evergreen shrub with beautiful shiny leaves. During flowering, large white flowers appear on it. Aroma with hints of jasmine, sweet and quite strong. It needs frequent watering and spraying, and fertilized. For the home, you can use such fragrant species: Fortuna gardenia, variegated gardenia, Vicha gardenia.


Murria paniculata

An exotic plant with an intense and distinctive aroma. This is a branchy tree that blooms with white bell-shaped flowers and has feathery leaves. The tree loves light, tolerates dry air, but needs frequent watering and spraying. The natural look smells the best.

Pittosporum odorous

A small ornamental tree with dense leaves. It blooms with white flowers in spring. It has a rich soft vanilla aroma. The plant adapts well to home conditions, tolerates dry air and is shade tolerant. The most fragrant varieties are Pittosporum Wavy and Variegata. nine0011

Ficus Benjamin Starlight

Fills the room with a barely perceptible smell of freshness and humidifies the air.

There are many more plants that have a pleasant aroma: geranium, Japanese eriobotria (smells like sweet almonds), eucharis grandiflora (sweet aroma), jasmine, orchid, rose, patchouli and others.

15 best fragrant indoor plants

Among the best indoor plants, we would like to highlight for you the most fragrant ones that will improve the microclimate in the house and cheer you up. They are very healthy! nine0015

Among the best indoor plants, we would like to highlight for you the most fragrant ones that will improve the microclimate in the house and cheer you up. They are very healthy! Just by inhaling their scent, you cleanse your lungs, so it becomes easier for you to breathe, like after walking through the forest. Let's see what are these best indoor plants!

Geranium

For your geranium to grow healthy and fragrant, it needs a lot of sun - ideally a south window without any shading, even without a loggia outside the window. If she feels a lack of light, there will be few leaves, and the aroma itself will no longer be the same. nine0015

Jasmine

Jasmine can also be cultivated at home, although it is more popular with our summer residents. With timely feeding and shaping, you can grow a fragrant bush that will delight you for many years!

Orange, lemon and other citrus fruits

Citrus fruits grow well indoors only with perfect lighting from the south window, with regular feeding and without drafts in winter, as they are heat-loving plants. They smell just amazing! nine0015