Fragrant favorites
By: Garden Gate staff
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Common lilac Syringa vulgaris
Lilacs have one of the most recognized scents around and they’re so easy to grow. For the best blooms, skip the fertilizer — too many nutrients, especially nitrogen, will give you lovely foliage but few flowers.
Type Shrub
Blooms White, purple, pink or blue single or double flowers from late spring to early summer
Light Full sun
Soil Humus-rich, well-drained
Size 8 to 15 ft. tall, 6 to 10 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 8
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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Garden phlox Phlox paniculata
Most garden phlox have very fragrant blooms that make excellent cut flowers. But powdery mildew can be a common problem so plant disease-resistant cultivars, like ‘David’ shown here, and give them an open area with good circulation.
Type Perennial
Blooms Pink, white or lavender from early summer to fall
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well-drained
Size 1 to 4 ft. tall and wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 9
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 9 to 1
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Koreanspice viburnum Viburnum carlesii
In spring, Koreanspice viburnum’s rose-pink blooms give off a spicy carnation scent. And its gray-green, pest-resistant foliage will look great even after the flowers have gone!
Type Shrub
Blooms Rose-pink flower clusters in spring
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well-drained, slightly acid
Size 4 to 6 ft. tall and wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 4 to 8
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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Orienpet lily Lilium hybrids
A hybrid between trumpet lilies and Oriental lilies, the orienpet lily has enormous flowers — up to 12 inches in diameter! Some cultivars won’t stand upright without extra support, but compact ‘Star Gazer’ to the left doesn’t need staking.
Type Bulb
Blooms Trumpet-shaped flowers in every color except blue and purple from early to late summer
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Well-drained
Size 2 to 8 ft. tall, 1 to 2 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 3 to 8
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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Heliotrope Heliotropium arborescens
When heliotrope’s flowers start to turn brown, lightly brush them with your hand to remove faded blooms. After a whole cluster fades, pinch it back to a set of leaves to encourage more beautiful blossoms with vanilla fragrance.
Type Tender perennial
Blooms Clusters of purple or white flowers in summer
Light Full sun
Soil Moist, well-drained
Size 12 to 18 in. tall and wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 10 to 11
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 12 to 1
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Mockorange Philadelphus hybrids
Be patient — it takes a few years for newly planted mockorange to produce lots of orange blossom scented flowers. Once it gets started, keep this shrub blooming heavily by thinning out a few stems that are two years old or more.
Type Shrub
Blooms White in early to midsummer
Light Full sun to part shade
Soil Moist, all types
Size 3 to 10 ft. tall, 3 to 8 ft. wide
Cold-hardy USDA zones 4 to 8
Heat-tolerant AHS zones 8 to 1
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