These plants are known for their fragrance. Some release a scent that travels far and wide, while others offer their aromas up close. Here’s a list of fragrant plants that can elevate your garden experience:

Aromatic Annuals and Perennials

• Alyssum: This white or lavender annual reseeds itself and offers a sweet scent when disturbed.
• Heliotrope: A sweet vanilla-scented evergreen perennial, especially fragrant in white varieties. All parts are poisonous.
• Moonflower (Ipomoea alba): This night-blooming vine with heart-shaped leaves and large, white flowers is fragrant and blooms in summer and fall.
• Nicotiana: Tubular flowers that open at night and emit a strong fragrance. All parts are poisonous and some varieties reseed easily.
• Sweet peas: These sweet-scented annuals bloom from winter into spring. Available in bush and climbing types. Highly poisonous.

Fragrant Shrubs and Small Trees

• Gardenia: Intensely fragrant white flowers bloom throughout the year on hedges and shrubs.
• Michelia Tree:
  • M. champaca: Tall with small orange flowers that bloom most of the year.
  • ‘Jack Fogg’: Shorter variety with large, white fragrant flowers blooming in spring.
  • Banana shrub (M. figo): Small shrub with banana-scented flowers, blooms March through May.
• Osmanthus fragrans: Evergreen shrub with small white flowers and a strong apricot-like scent. Blooms mostly in spring and summer.
• Plumeria: Shrubs or small trees with fragrant flowers used in leis. Bloom in summer and fall; go dormant in late fall.
• Roses: Classic fragrant flowers. Be selective as some hybrids and miniatures lack scent.

Fragrant Herbs and Tropicals

• Citrus: Spring blooms are fragrant, and the ripening fruit also releases pleasant aromas. Dwarf varieties grow well in containers.
• Geraniums: Scented varieties like apple and rose are best placed where leaves can be brushed or picked to release fragrance.
• Jasmine:
  • Pink Jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum): Blooms in spring and early summer.
  • Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum): Not a true jasmine; blooms in spring.
  • Night Jessamine (Cestrum nocturnum): Late summer and fall bloomer with strong nighttime fragrance.
  • Madagascar Jasmine (Stephanotis floribunda): Summer blooming with waxy, white fragrant flowers.
• Lavender: Known for its calming aroma. Both flowers and leaves are fragrant. English lavender is among the most aromatic.
• Lilac: Traditionally difficult to grow in mild climates, but varieties like ‘Blue Skies’ and ‘Lavender Lady’ thrive in Southern California.