8 Most Aromatic Flowers to Grow in the Garden

Aromatic flowers can transform any garden into a fragrant paradise, attracting pollinators and delighting the senses. Here are eight of the most aromatic flowers you can grow to enhance your garden’s ambiance.

Sweet Alyssum

Tiny blooms on this delicate annual beckon to pollinators. Sweet alyssum looks lovely cascading from containers, window boxes, and hanging baskets or tucked into a rock garden as a flowering ground cover. Its honey-like fragrance is a delightful addition to any garden setting.

Mexican Orange Blossom

Native to the southwestern region of the United States and Mexico, Mexican orange blossom’s flower blossoms and crushed leaves smell similar to its namesake, the orange. Newly cultivated shrubs grow extremely fast, and mature ones produce an abundance of fragrant flowers that add a citrusy aroma to your garden.

Wisteria

Make a statement by growing this vining plant on a pergola or lattice wall. Wisteria flowers in shades of blue and purple bloom in spring and late summer, filling the air with their sweet fragrance. The cascading blooms create a stunning visual and olfactory experience in any garden.

Honeysuckle

This showy, vigorous perennial vine spills beautifully over a trellis or fence-line, and pollinators love it. Look for native or newer types, which are not invasive like Japanese honeysuckle. Honeysuckle’s sweet, nectar-filled flowers emit a delightful fragrance that can perfume the entire garden.

Moonflower

Beloved for its sweet perfumed scent, the moonflower has blossoms that look similar to trumpets. Typically, the nocturnal vine’s buds unfurl at night to release a rich scent and display white blooms. This enchanting flower adds a mystical fragrance to your garden after dark.

Gardenia

You get a lot of bang for your buck with this shrub thanks to fragrant flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer and then again in late summer and early fall. Gardenias thrive in moist, well-draining soil and offer an intoxicating fragrance that is both rich and sweet.

Rose

Every garden should have at least one rose. Roses are not as fussy as many people believe, and many newer varieties are highly selected for insect and disease resistance. Their classic beauty and enchanting fragrance make them a must-have for any aromatic garden.

Freesia

Tubular flowers come in a variety of shades including white, orange, red, blue, yellow, and lavender that bloom in summer. Freesias are known for the very sweet scent they add to your outdoor oasis, making them a perfect choice for a fragrant flower garden.