Shrubs are a great addition to a garden or to a property just standing alone. They add color and interest and attract critters from butterflies and birds to insects. Moreover, some smell so good.
If you want to add fragrance to your garden or property, then there are a few species of shrub you may want to purchase and plant. However, you don’t have to depend only on shrubs to generate some wonderful scents. Flowers can do that too.
So, what follows is a list of flowers and shrubs you can research that will add a little more to the great textures and colors you may already have.
The zone references refer to the United States Department of Agricultural Research Service USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. The map identifies zones throughout the United States where plants grow best.
Fragrant Wintersweet
(Courtesy: Keye at flickr.com)
Scented Flowers
Not only do flowers and shrubs present wonderful bright colors that add visual interest to a garden, they also offer a scent that provides an aroma that stimulates the sense of smell. In fact, you could say that flowers and shrubs can affect many of our senses including sight, touch, smell, hearing (the flutter of wings of birds attracted to them), and taste (many shrubs offer edible berries, too).
· Buddleia. This flora features a distinct summer fragrance. It thrives in regions of the country that are in zones 5-9.
· Allspice. The flowers offer the scent of bubblegum and the leaves emit a fragrance of their own, too. Ideal for areas of the country in zones 5-9.
· Fragrant Wintersweet. This small flower has a creamy appearance and offers a full scent during late winter. It flourishes in zones 7-10.
· Mexican Orange. A spring plant, the flower presents an orange scent. Best in zones 7-11.
· Summersweet. This flora blossoms in the mid-summer through the autumn and smells like roses. Excellent in zone 3-8.
· Pineapple Broom. This features a pineapple fragrance and does well in zones 7-9.
· Winter Daphne. This is another species of flower that smells like pineapple. Performs well in areas in zones 7-9.
· Daphne. Not only does this flower feature a fragrance, but it also includes a showy appearance during the spring. It does well in zones 5-8.
· Gardenia. This scented flower blossoms through the spring and summer. Ideal for zones 8b-10.
· Witchhazel. This yellow flower offers a spicy scent during the winter months. It thrives in zones 4-9.
· Winter Jasmine. This flower offers more of a weak scent, but its bloom lasts the whole winter. This flourishes in zones 7-10.
· Honeysuckle. Not only does this flower have a sweet smell, it also attracts hummingbirds. It does best in zones 5-9.
· Magnolia. This flower is large and offers a bloom and scent during the spring. It prospers in zones 7-9.
· False Holly. The flowers are somewhat insignificant and the scent is subtle. It grows best in zones 7-9.
· Rhododendron/Azalea. There are many types and varieties some of which do have a scent and some of which do not. It grows well in zones 4-9.
· Rose. The species of rose with the strongest scent are Rugosa and Damask. They thrive in zones 5-10.
· Sweetbox. Blossoming in the winter, this flower offers a honey smell followed by berries. It grows well in zones 6-9.
· Lilac. The bloom and scent appear in the spring. It grows well in zones 3-8.
· Viburnum. This flower offers both a honey and spice scent. Best types of Viburnum for scent include V. Burkwoodil, V. Catesil, V. Farreri, and V. Bodnantense. These flowers do well in zones4-8.
Carolina Allspice
(Courtesy: CZM at flickr.com)
Scented Shrubs
Some shrubs feature leaves that emit the scent when touched or crushed. These include:
· Lemon Verbena. The lemon scented leaves are used as an herb. It thrives in areas of the country in zones 8-11.
· Allspice. This shrub has scented leaves and flowers. It does best in zones 5-9.
· Cardamom. The leaves on this bush smell like Cardamom. The best region for growing is in zones 9-11.
· Mint Shrub. The leaves have a mint fragrance. This bush thrives in areas located in zones 4-8.
· Anise. The crushed leaf of this shrub smells like aniseed. It flourishes in zones 8-10.
· Labrador Tea. The scented leaves are used to make tea. It is ideal for zones 2-8.
· Spicebush. The crushed leaves of this bush offer a strong spicy citrus scent. It grows best in zones 4-9.
· Rosemary. This small scented shrub has leaves that are used as herbs. It is ideal for zones 8-10.
· Sage. The S. Fruticosa species of this shrub features herbs that are used in cooking. It does best in zones 5-9.
