Garden Flower Gardens 19 Fragrant Flowers That Will Make Your Garden Smell–and Look—Amazing Turn your garden into a feast for the senses with these fragrant, beautiful varieties. By Johanna Silver and Madeline Buiano Madeline Buiano Madeline Buiano is an editor at MarthaStewart.com, sharing her knowledge on a range of topics—from gardening and cleaning to home. Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 25, 2024 Close Photo: Getty / Isabel Pavia While it's certainly true that non-fragrant blooms are just as lovely as the sweet-smelling ones, your favorite blossoms probably do have a scent. It's part of their appeal. After all, many memories begin with smell, which is why fragrant flowers so often stand out in our minds. The best way to experience your go-to floral fragrance regularly? Plant the flowers in your garden. The options when it comes to fragrant flowers aren't limited—these blooms come in all shapes, sizes, and types, from ones that grow on trees to tiny, compact ground covers. Some are as showy as they are fragrant, while others don't look very impressive, but when you lean in close, they surprise you. To help you narrow down your selection, we're sharing the most fragrant flowers that will make meandering through your garden all the more enjoyable. Teri Speight, a master gardener and author of Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers and Florists Adrienne Roethling, garden director for Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, a botanical garden in Kernersville, North Carolina 12 Fragrant Indoor Plants That Will Make Your Home Smell Like a Garden 01 of 19 Heliotrope DEA / C. DELU / Contributor / Getty This sweet-smelling annual has an aroma reminiscent of cherry pie, says Teri Speight, a master gardener and author of Black Flora: Profiles of Inspiring Black Flower Farmers and Florists. Heliotrope (Heliotropium) requires full to part sun and moderate watering. "Positioned in a protected or small garden, the scent can sweep you off your feet," Speight says. Zones: 3 to 10Size: 1 to 4 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil 02 of 19 Rose Getty / iconogenic Roses (Rosa) have a wide range of fragrances, depending on the variety you're growing in your garden. From fruity options like Jude the Obscure to musky ones like Snow Goose, this species of flowering plants has a scent for every gardener. Zones: 5 to 11Size: Depends on variety Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil How to Grow and Care for All the Roses in Your Garden 03 of 19 Sweetshrub Helmut Meyer zur Capellen Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) is a quick growing, deciduous shrub that's native throughout the United States. In mid-spring, waxy green leaves emerge keeping their color all summer before turning yellow in fall. "The flower buds appear right after the leaves. The buds are rounded, maroon-colored and burst open like a daisy," says Adrienne Roethling, garden director for Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden. "The flowers are produced in abundance and will last for several weeks. When in flower, they smell like cantaloupe. Zones: 5 to 9Size: 6 to 10 feet tall x 6 to 10 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-draining soil 04 of 19 Gardenia Getty / Alexandra Grablewski A favorite in the perfume world, gardenia smells even better in the garden. These milky-white flowers bring a strong, intoxicating scent to your landscape. Depending on the variety, gardenias can be grown as shrubs or small trees. Zones: 7 to 11Size: Depends on varietyCare requirements: Partial sun; moist, well-draining soil 05 of 19 Chocolate Daisy David Becerril Gonzalez / 500px Chocolate daisy (Berlandiera lyrata) is a native perennial that smells—as the name implies—like chocolate. The flowers have green to red centers and typically bloom all summer long. "It’ll grow best in sunny conditions in most soils, but amend clay soils with compost and provide good drainage," says Roethling. Zones: 4 to 10Size: 1 to 2 feet tall x 1 to 2 feet wideGrowing conditions: Full sun; clay soil that is well-draining 12 Most Common Types of Daisies—and How to Know Which Ones Are Best for Your Garden 06 of 19 Carnation David Becerril Gonzalez / 500px Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus) are popular in bouquets and come in many colors, from white and pink to yellow and red. Their blooms, which open in spring, have a sweet, vanilla-like fragrance, says Roethling. Carnations look beautiful when grown in a border garden or in containers. Zones: 6 to 9Size: 12 to 48 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun; well-draining, gritty soil 07 of 19 Sweet Pea Getty / Ruth Brown These spring-blooming annual vines range in scent, with heirloom varieties like Cupani being the most classic. Sweet peas (Lathyrus) have a strong fragrance that can waft down the street, so they're a great addition to a front yard garden. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 4 to 9 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wide Care requirements: Full sun; rich, well-draining soil 08 of 19 Fragrant Daphne Getty Images Rewarding gardeners at the end of winter with a beautiful show, daphne flowers form on small mounding shrubs. The buds give off the sweetest, clean-smelling scent, perfuming the air surrounding the bush. Zones: 7 to 9Size: 3 to 6 feet tall x 2 to 4 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-draining soil 15 Full-Sun Perennials That Come Back Bigger and Better Every Year 09 of 19 Freesia Getty / Kazuharu Harada Planted in the fall as bulbs, freesia emerge in spring as strongly fragrant, bell-shaped flowers lined along a single stem. These flowers come in many hues, including white, golden yellow, orange, red, pink, mauve, lavender, purple, and bicolor. Zones: 9 to 10Size: 12 to 18 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-draining soil 10 of 19 Paperwhites Getty / bigworld Another super fragrant flower, paperwhite (Narcissus), grows quickly in the garden. Plant these florals as bulbs and expect them to bloom in late winter or early spring. The flowers, which bloom for two to three weeks, have a sweet but musky scent that can be divisive amongst gardeners. Zones: 4 to 8Size: 8 to 30 inches tall x 6 to 12 inches wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; acidic, well-draining soil 11 of 19 Tuberose Getty / rasikabendre Tuberose (Agave amica) has tropical-looking tubular flowers that bloom from summer throughout fall. Their sweet, refreshing scent will leave you feeling like you're on vacation—even when you're standing in your own garden. Zones: 7 to 10Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 2 to 2.5 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil 12 of 19 Peony yumehana / Getty Images Peonies (Paeonia) are beloved by gardeners. "They come in woody or herbaceous forms and bloom for a couple of weeks in spring," says Roethling. "All peony flowers have paper thin petals—some are single ranked, while others have double the petals." Not all peonies are fragrant, but the ones that are have a pleasant, sweet fragrance. Zones: 3 to 8Size: 1 to 3 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; fertile, well-draining soil How to Grow and Care for Peonies to Ensure Beautiful Blooms Year After Year 13 of 19 Lilac Getty / Martin Flashback / EyeEm Common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is a very fragrant flower that fills gardens with color—and fragrance—during spring. Plant these multi-stemmed shrubs around your space and expect to be wowed by their scent and appearance. Zones: 3 to 7Size: 8 to 16 feet tall x 6 to 12 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist, well-draining soil 14 of 19 Mock Orange Getty / Jacky Parker Photography Mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius) is a drought-tolerant flowering shrub that bursts with small white blossoms in spring or early summer. The best part about this low-maintenance plant, though, is its sweet, citrusy flowers. Zones: 4 to 8Size: 10 to 12 feet tall x 8 to 10 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil 15 of 19 Banana Shrub Getty Images Banana shrub (Magnolia figo) has multiple seasons of appeal with its evergreen leaves and fragrant, showy flowers. "It can be left to branch low like a shrub or limbed up to make a small tree," says Roethling. "The shiny green leaves accent the fuzzy buds, which open in May and smell like bananas." Zones: 7 to 9Size: 6 to 15 feet tall x 6 to 7 feet wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil 16 of 19 Stargazer Lily Vicki Jauron / Babylon and Beyond Photography / Getty Images This quick-growing lily (Lilium) variety is known for its sweet, perfume-like aroma. The fragrance is strong and can be overwhelming to some. "Lilliums come from a bulb that will multiply over time," says Roethling. "By early summer, large star-like flowers burst onto the scene. The flowers are bright pink with a white border and dark freckles." (Note that as a true lily, every part of this plant is highly toxic to cats.) Zones: 3 to 8Size: 6 feet tall x 1 foot wideCare requirements: Full sun to partial shade; well-draining soil 17 of 19 Fragrant Tea Olive Marina Denisenko / Getty Images Fragrant tea olive (Osmanthus fragrans) produces beautiful white flowers that bloom in clusters during spring. It has a rich, sweet aroma that's comparable to cloves and citrus. "Fragrant tea olive have long been staples of Southern gardens and with good reason," says Roethling. "One whiff of their fragrance will have you hooked." Zone: 8 to 11Size: 10 to 15 feet tall x 10 to 15 feet wideGrowing conditions: Full sun to part shade; moist, well-drained soil 18 of 19 Woodland Phlox Grace Cary / Getty Images There are many Phlox varieties to choose from, but woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata) is one of the most common. "A carpet of green, small rounded leaves emerges in early spring, giving rise to tall stalks of blue or white flowers," says Roethling. The fragrance is mild and sweet. Zone: 3 to 8Size: 6 to 12 inches tall x 10 to 21 inches wideGrowing conditions: Full to part shade; organic, well-drained soil 19 of 19 Paper Bush gyro / Getty Images Paper bush (Edgeworthia chrysantha) has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its incredible fragrance. On every branch, you'll find clusters of yellow, upside-down tubular flowers resembling a honeycomb shape, says Roethling, adding that the scent is similar to gardenias. Zone: 7 to 9Size: 8 feet tall x 8 feet wideGrowing conditions: Full sun to full shade; average, well-drained soil Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit