11 Shrubs with very aromatic flowers to beautify your garden

When we think of fragrant flowers, the first fragrant shrubs that come to mind are usually roses or jasmine, but they are far from the monopoly! Indeed, there are some for all seasons and in all plant categories. In this article we present a list of 11 shrubs with aromatic flowers ideal for the garden.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

Many roses have a strong fragrance, but the English bush variety ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ has a special, sought-after scent: the perfect old rose scent! That is, the traditional aroma of wild roses, which can only be enjoyed in pink and red roses.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

It has large, cup-shaped, fully double, dark pink flowers. Dark emerald green foliage is the perfect backdrop for this profusion of color and fragrance.

The traditional, ‘old world’ look of ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ makes it ideal for informal gardens, from the country house to the city, but also in containers.

  • Exposure to light: full sun or partial shade.
  • Flowering period: from mid-spring to frost, several times.
  • Cut: 1.5 to 3 meters high and 90 to 120 cm long.
  • Soil requirements: fertile soil rich in organic matter, moist but well drained, with a clay, limestone or sandy base, with a slightly alkaline to slightly acidic pH.

The Gardenia is a small evergreen shrub but full of beauty and a surprising, strong and sweet aroma, typical of this plant.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

The flowers are quite large, white with a yellow center and soft petals, quite wide for this genus. They give way to bright orange seed pods that last until fall.

The foliage is oval, small, shiny and dense – a beautiful presence even in your veranda.

It is small and can be grown even on a terrace or in a modest garden, but there are larger varieties for larger beds, pergolas and wall sections in informal settings.

  • Exposure to light: full sun or partial shade.
  • Flowering period: from late spring to late summer.
  • Cut: 90 to 120 cm wide and long.
  • Soil requirements: soil rich in organic matter, fertile and constantly moist, with a clay or sandy base, with an acid to neutral pH.

All varieties of lilac are emblematic of a fragrant spring. It starts in spring and ends with frost.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

The first bloom will be much larger, but the scent will stay with you even into the fall.

Lush green foliage is an added bonus of this generous shrub, and it’s a modestly sized variety, so you can keep it even in a small garden.

Lilacs are perfect in a natural looking garden, in a herbaceous bed, in a pot, or you can use them in base planting and in naturalized areas. It is also ideal for colder regions.

  • Exposure to light: full sun.
  • Flowering period: from late spring to frost.
  • Cut: from 1.2 to 1.8 meters in height and extension.
  • Soil requirements: fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil with a clay, limestone or sandy base with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. It tolerates heavy clay.

The Tree of Destiny is a large deciduous shrub or small tree that has many tricks up its sleeve… The flowers are white, elegant and appear in summer in clusters with a very pleasant aroma.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

They then turn into very unusual round fruits in the middle of a bright purple red star and can be aquamarine or dark blue, all on the same stem!

The leaves are oval and light to dark green depending on the season, smooth in appearance and quite dense.

When it blooms, it’s a favorite of butterflies, bees, and even hummingbirds. It is a very intriguing and constantly evolving plant!

The large size makes it suitable for large gardens in hedgerows, windbreaks and naturalized areas in informal gardens.

  • Exposure to light: full sun or partial shade.
  • Flowering period: from mid-summer to mid-autumn.
  • Cut: 3 to 6 meters in height and wingspan.
  • Soil requirements: organic soil, constantly moist but well drained, with a clay, limestone or sandy base, with a slightly alkaline to slightly acidic pH.

It is a compact shrub with one of the most pleasant aromas of this genus: the flowers have a strong, fruity and very sweet fragrance. And they are also colorful.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

The flowers are large, lotus-shaped, cup-shaped with dark magenta fleshy petals. They are plentiful and quite exotic, although it is a cold hardy shrub.

The bright green, ample and lush foliage shows them off perfectly and turns golden once they finish flowering. The bark and the pod also have a good smell if they are crushed, quite pungent!

It adapts to flowerbeds and flowerbeds in temperate and tropical zones; the flowers are excellent as cut flowers, especially dried, as they retain their beauty for a long time.

  • Exposure to light: full sun or partial shade.
  • Flowering period: late spring and early summer.
  • Cut: from 1.5 to 2.4 meters in height and up to 1.8 meters in length.
  • Soil requirements: soil rich in humus and fairly fertile, constantly moist but well drained, clay, limestone or sandy base with a slightly alkaline to slightly acidic pH.

6. Mountain pepper (Clethra acuminata)

It is a medium-sized herbaceous shrub with reddish-brown bark. This shrub has white bell-shaped flowers that open in clusters at the end of very regular angled branches.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

They are followed by round capsules which are kept in winter, where the plant continues to look interesting, thanks to the elegance of the branches. The leaves are broad, first green in spring and turning golden yellow in fall.

It has a wild appearance and is therefore only suitable for large hedges, windbreaks and borders in traditional and informal gardens or naturalized areas. It is ideal under trees and in dark places.

  • Exposure to light: full sun, partial shade or full shade.
  • Flowering period: summer.
  • Cut: from 2 to 6 meters high and up to 1.8 meters long,
  • Soil requirements: moderately fertile, moist but well-drained soil, clay or sandy base with acid pH.

Japanese honeysuckle is a much more fragrant shrub than common honeysuckle. It is a vigorous vine cultivar with tubular white flowers filled with pollinators and hummingbirds drawn to its sweet fragrance.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

When ripe, they turn creamy yellow, giving it an interesting touch. The foliage is lush and medium green, elliptical and evergreen in hot countries, while it loses its leaves in cooler climates.

It has a branched habit and can become invasive in natural areas.

Japanese honeysuckle is ideal for covering walls and fences by allowing it to climb over them and then cover them. It may also be allowed to spread over a slope as a ground cover. Despite its origin, it is quite resistant to cold.

  • Exposure to light: full sun or partial shade.
  • Flowering period: from late spring to late summer.
  • Cut: from 4.5 to 9 meters high and up to 1.8 meters long.
  • Soil requirements: moderately fertile, well-drained loam, clay or sandy soil with a slightly alkaline to slightly acidic pH. Tolerates drought.

When blooming on its bare stems in early winter, the Viburnum brings a playful touch to the dullness.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

Its dark pink buds turn into many bouquets of pale pink flowers with a sweet scent, surprising in the middle of winter.

Its vanilla notes, mixing heliotrope and carnation, are especially noticeable when the weather warms up a bit.

Its strongly ribbed deciduous foliage takes over in the spring, in shades of bronze, before turning green in season, then purplish red in the fall.

In the front garden or near a driveway or path, in a secluded location, or even in a pot, it will require almost no maintenance to bloom profusely all winter.

  • Exposure to light: dappled shade, full sun.
  • Flowering period: Winter.
  • Cut: reaches 240-300 cm high and 120-180 cm wide.
  • Soil requirements: Prefers moist, well-drained soils, but tolerates sandy or loamy sites with adequate drainage.

For a fragrant shrub that blooms in early spring, try Andromeda.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

The smell may be an acquired taste (some complain that the scent is too sweet), but no one can deny that it gives off a strong aroma.

The flowers resemble those of lily of the valley. The bush can reach 3 meters in height.

Grow this shrub in moist, well-drained soil. Partial shade is the best location.

The black elderberry is an upright shrub with impressive foliage and aromatic flowers. The leaves are pinnate and almost black (dark purple), with a very fine and decorative texture.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

The white and light pink flowers are made up of many small flowers in large umbels and have a distinctive lemon scent!

It is a very showy plant and a bold statement; it can add drama to any garden in beds and hedges, and can even be grown as a specimen plant for its unusual gothic appearance.

  • Exposure to light: full sun or partial shade.
  • Flowering period: beginning of summer.
  • Cut: 2 to 4 meters in height and wingspan.
  • Soil requirements: moderately fertile but rich in humus and well-drained soil, with a slightly alkaline to slightly acidic pH. It tolerates heavy clay.

Indispensable in an aromatic garden, it illuminates the spring with its small white flowers tinged with pale pink gathered in numerous balls of about ten centimeters.

Aromatic flowering shrubs

Its perfume is then a pure marvel. Close to the lily, it also releases notes of jasmine and tuberose. Very powerful, it can be seen for several meters around!

The deciduous to semi-evergreen foliage is carried by a bush of about 2.50 m, with a sometimes a little messy habit.

Green in season, the leaves of this magnificent shrub regain their importance in the fall, when they take on particularly warm colours.

Hardy down to -20°C, this species of Viburnum is easy to care for and is the star of the garden several times a year.

It may also be interesting to read: 15 plants that bloom all year round (or almost)

  • Exposure to light: in the sun or in partial shade.
  • Flowering period: spring.
  • Cut: up to 2.5 meters.
  • Soil requirements: soil rich in humus and well drained.

Share it on the networks:

Leave a Comment