Download Gardening Tips: Using Fragrance as a Landscape Tool

Gardening Tips: Using Fragrance as a Landscape Tool
In past articles I’ve talked about different ways to add interest to your landscape.
Easy ways to add interest are by incorporating color with flowers, fruit, and foliage, or
adding interesting or unusual plants. Another way to add interest is by using plants that
have powerful fragrance. Most flowering plants have at least a mildly detectable
fragrance when you sniff the blossoms, but certain plants give off a more powerful
fragrance that can be noticed simply by walking out the door of your home. In some
cases, these plants may not even have flowers that are overwhelmingly attractive in
bloom, but are valuable for the wonderful scent they give off.
Calycanthus floridus, commonly known as Sweet Betsy, Sweetshrub, or Carolina
allspice, has 2 inch wide reddish-brown flowers that give off a strong fruity fragrance.
The scent is different from plant to plant, but has been described as some combination of
strawberry, banana, and pineapple. Sweet Betsy will be in full flower in May, but may
flower sporadically through June and July as well. Plants that are grown from seed tend
to be less fragrant, so when buying plants or sharing with a friend it is best to do so when
the plant is in flower.
Many plants in the Viburnum genus, particularly the Burkwood viburnum and
Koreanspice viburnum are extremely fragrant when in bloom during late April.
Burkwood viburnum has clusters of small flowers that are pink in bud, but white when
fully open. Koreanspice viburnum has a similar flower appearance and fragrance but is a
smaller plant, generally 4 feet tall by 6 feet wide, compared to 8 feet tall by 6 feet wide
for the Burkwood viburnum. Both give off a spicy fragrance that will permeate the entire
area.
Daphne odora, commonly known as Fragrant Daphne or Winter Daphne is a
small evergreen shrub (about 3 feet high and 3 feet wide), that has wonderfully fragrant
p\rosy pink blooms in late winter or early spring. Depending on the year, this plant will
bloom any time from mid-February to mid-March. There are several additional varieties
of this plant, some which have white flowers, or deeper shades of pink, and some that
have white or yellow variegation on the leaves. All varieties have excellent fragrance.
The common lilac, a fragrant purple blooming shrub that is found in abundance in
the North, does not grow particularly well in our North Carolina summers. However, the
Manchurian Lilac (Syringa patula), particularly the variety ‘Miss Kim’ is a pleasing
alternative. ‘Miss Kim’ is much smaller than the common lilac, only reaching about 4
feet high and 4 feet wide, and its flowers and leaves are smaller than the common lilac.
The flowers are a dark, almost rosy purple color and are delightfully fragrant.
Lindera benzoin, Spicebush is a 6-10 foot tall shrub with yellow flower clusters
that open in mid-March, and as the name suggests, give off a pleasant spicy scent.
Spicebush grows naturally in shady areas along banks and streams, and should be planted
in borders or natural areas if used in the home landscape. In addition to its fragrant
flowers, Spicebush has attractive red berries that are born in September and make a nice
display after the leaves fall.
In addition to these plants, roses, hydrangeas, honeysuckles, summersweet and
many others offer noteworthy fragrance. To take advantage of the fragrance offered by
these plants, it is best to place them in areas where there fragrance can be most
appreciated. When possible, these plants should be situated near entrances, walkways or
outdoor activity areas such as porches or decks. Of course, each plant mentioned above
will differ in terms of its mature height and width, preferred soil type, and preference for
sun and shade, so these factors need to be considered as well.
Matthew Stevens is the horticulture extension agent for Halifax County
Cooperative Extension. If you have any questions about this article or other aspects of
your home gardening, please contact Matthew at 583-5161 or [email protected].