Many scents intensify at night, making staying outdoors under the stars all the more relaxing.
Here are 25 of the sweetest-smelling plants for your landscape.
Angel’s trumpet grows in spurtssometimes several times a yearforming a thick blanket of beautiful blooms.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
Angel’s trumpet is toxic to humans and animals.
Jasmine
Some jasmine(Jasminum)plants are unscented.
Plumeria
Plumeria (Plumeriaspp.
The Spruce / Lisa Taylor
Native to Singapore, plumerias were introduced to Hawaii in 1860.
Sweetly scented varieties arePlumeria rubra’Kauka Wilder' and ‘Smith’s Candystripe.’
Plumeria is an excellent pool or spa-side plant and grows well in containers.
Close-up of Winter jasmine flowers (Jasminum Polyanthum).DEA/S.MONTANARI/Getty Images
Honeysuckle
Honeysuckle (Loniceraspp.
)is a vigorous-growing vine with long-tubed fragrant white flowers that attract hummingbirds and yellow as they age.
A twining climber, honeysuckle requires support and can grow up to 30 feet.
Frangipani (Plumeria Rubra) QLD, Australia.Bob Charlton/Getty Images
It grows well in sun or partial shade.
For repeat blooms, prune after flowering.
Deadhead for repeat blooms.
Lonicera caprifolium.charocastro/Getty Images
Dianthus is toxic to animals.
Gardenia
When scented plants are discussed, gardenias (Gardenia augusta, G. grandiflora,orG.
jasmnoides)always come to mind.
Chris Burrows/Getty Images
Favoritecultivarswith gardeners include ‘Fortuniana’, ‘Chuck Hayes’, and ‘Florida’.
Gardenia is toxic to animals.
Mandevilla
Mandevilla (Mandevillaspp.
DEA/G.CIGOLIN
Mandevilla likes a sturdy post or support to climb along with enriched soil.
Its strong scent is reminiscent of a gardenia.
Popular cultivars include ‘Alice du Pont’, ‘Bride’s Cascade’, and ‘Magic Trio’.
JillLang/Getty Images
Roses
Roses (Rosaspp.
)have legendary scents that can’t be ignored.
Just double-check these bushes or vines are planted several feet away from high-traffic areas to avoid thorn issues.
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
Try delicious-smellingtypessuch as English shrub roses andclimbing roses.
Try it as a fragrant filler betweenpaversor stepping stones.
The sweetest-smelling varieties areNicotiana alata’Grandiflora,' andN.
Close-up of Flowering Corsican Mint (Mentha requienii) (syn. M corsica).Francois De Hee/Getty Images
Many gardeners grow flowering tobacco as an annual, making it suitable for many zones.
Nicotiana is toxic to humans and animals.
Phlox
Phlox (Phloxspp.)
Tobacco flowers in bloom.Josie Elias/Getty Images
is a colorful and prolific bloomer that performs in gardens from late spring to early fall.
Phlox grows in both sun and shade and is available in many colors.
Its scent has been described as “spicy-vanilla clove.”
The Spruce / Autumn Wood
The flowers bloom from spring to fall, sometimes even in the winter because this flower likes cooler temperatures.
Try early-blooming ‘Easter Bonnet’, ‘Pastel Carpet’, or ‘Snow Crystals’ with translucent white blooms.
Wisteria
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Wisteria (Wisteriaspp.)
The Spruce / Leticia Almeida
is unforgettable not only in its drapey appearance but for its heady fragrance ranging from musky to sweet.
You’ll find wisteria vines above, trailing from strong supporting structures, such as arbors and trellises.
Most wisteria species are considered invasive so you’ll spend time pruning to keep the plant in check.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Freesia
The Spruce / K. Dave
Freesia’s (Freesiaspp.)
trumpet-shaped flowers grow one on top of another along one side of a tall stem.
This dramatic flower is often used in wedding bouquets or floral arrangements for its fruity, perfume-like scent.
Liudmyla Liudmyla / Getty Images
The red and pink flowers are thought to have the stronger fragrances.
Try the’Princess Marina’cultivar for the distinctive cherry pie scent.
Plant heliotrope in full sun for the best blooms but prepare to water them frequently.
The Spruce / K. Dave
Heliotrope is toxic to humans and animals.
Peonies are toxic to animals.
Sweet pea has a fast and exuberant growth habit that’s perfect for informal cottage gardens.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Sweet pea is toxic to humans and animals.
Flowers will last about two weeks in spring, although some rebloomers are being cultivated.
The shrubs with purple lilacs usually have stronger perfumey scents compared to other colors.
The Spruce / Grant Webster
Viburnum
Viburnum (Viburnumspp.)
is a popular shrub grown for its hydrangea-like flowers and snowball clusters.
It comes from its iridescent white trumpet-shaped flowers that look almost like its relative, the morning glory.
Flavia Morlachetti / Getty Images
Moonflower is toxic to humans and animals.
The flowers have an orange scent.
It flowers best in a sunny location in rich soil and weekly watering.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Look for ‘Aztec Pearl’ or ‘Londaz’ hybrids for dazzling, dense pinkish-white or white flowers.
Hyacinth bulbs planted in large swaths or groups produce the most intense, farthest-reaching springtime scent.
This plant is toxic to humans and animals.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
The stargazer’s blooms are showy and grow 6 inches in diameter.
Lilies will produce vibrant blooms if given plenty of sun.
Lilies are toxic to cats.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Gardenias are considered one of the most fragrant houseplants and it’s also used in many home fragrances.
Flowering plants emit the most fragrance.
However, consider herbs, like mint and lavender, that have unmistakable scents.
Katrin Ray Shumakov / Getty Images
Angel’s Trumpet.Pet Poison Helpline.
North Carolina State University Extension.
Toxic Plants.University of California.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Wisteria floribunda, W. sinensis.United States Department of Agriculture.
Iris pallida ‘Variegata’.North Carolina State Extension.
Lathyrus Latifolius.North Carolina State Extension.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Ipomoea alba.North Carolina State Extension.
Butterflybush.Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States.
