PERFUMED PLANTS

This page is dedicated to perfumed plants, either by flower or foliage. We will be adding to this regularly.

Abelia – Blossoms have a soft vanilla scent.
Acacia – The flowers and sap have a sweet scent. Violet like scent
Achillea – Pungent, refreshing to smell, similar to feverfew.
Acorus – Both leaves and roots have a strong cinnamon like aroma.
Agonis flexuous – fragrant foliage.
Albizzia – Flowers smell similar to sweet peas.
Aloysia triphylla – lemon scented foliage. Alyssum – Sweet, honeyed and refreshing. Amaryllis – Very sweet.
Angelica – Stalks and seeds have a musky aroma.
Anthemis – Refreshing and pungent. The foliage has a fruity, apple like scent.
Antolina – strong and pungent.
Artemisia – Pungent but pleasant.

Backhousia – scented foliage.
Baeckea – stron similar to camphor. Banksia sp. – honey scented blooms.
Bauhinia – similar to vanilla.
Bilbergia – soft and sweet.
Borage – Very fresh and similar to cucumber.
Boronia – Sweet, fresh and lemony.
Buddleja – sweet, musky and honeyed.
Buxus – Quite strong and pungent.

Calendula – warm and pungent.
Callistemon citrinus – scented foliage.
Carum – sweet and spicy.
Cassia – sweet and vanilla like.
Centaurea – Rich, musky and very sweet.
Cestrum – very sweet and fruity.
Cheiranthus – sweet, spicy and quite similar to stock.
Choisya – Heavy, sweet and orange like.
Cistus – sweet and balsamic.
Citrus – Extremely rich, spicy and sweet.
Clematis – Soft and sweet. Especially at night. Cleome – sweet
Clerodendron – sweet and light.
Coleonema – scented foliage. Convallaria – very sweet and slightly spicy. Coriandrum – very aromatic, spicy and pungent. Cornus – soft and sweet. Crassula fernwood – strong and sweet –similar to jasmine.
Crinum – Rich, soft and honeyed. Crocus – Sweet and honeyed. Some species are musky.
Crowea – sweet and lightly honeyed.
Cyclamen – Pretty and sweet and some have a vanilla scent.
Cymbidium – a long lasting sweet and delicate scent
Cymbopogon (lemon grass) – Lemon scent
Cytisus – fruity and pineapple-like

Daphne – Sweet, spicy clove or violet like.
Darwinia citriodora – lemon scented foliage.
Datura – Soft exotic and lily like.
Delphinium – musky
Dendrobium Vanilla, musk like or violet like.
Dianthus – Spicy, cinnamon or clove like.
Dichopogon – soft smelling flowers.

Erica – Tangy.
Erisotemon – slightly pungent.
Escallonia – foliage is pungent. Flowers have a sweet, faint perfume.
Eucalyptus – pungent, honey, peppermint or lemon scented.

Foeniculum – pingent.
Freesia – Sweet and violet like.

Galanthus (snowdrop) – sweet and almond like.
Galium – sweet.
Galtonia very light and sweet.
Gardenia – heavy, rich and very sweet.
Genista – sweet like vanilla or pineapple.
Gladiolus – clove like or violet like.
Gordonia – sweet and light.
Grevillea – honeyed.

Hedychium – sweet and heavy.
Helichrysum – flowers and foliage quite pleasantly pungent.
Heliotrope - vanilla
Helleborus – sweet and powerful. Hoya – sweet and honeyed.
Humulus – aromatic and yeasty.
Hyacinth – strong sweet scent
Hypericum – balsamic and pleasant.

Iberis – very sweet
Indigofera – vanilla
Ipomea moonflower – strong and sweet more so at night.
Iris – Sweet varieties vary.

Jacaranda – soft and sweet.
Jasmine – Heavy and sweet.

Lathyrus (sweetpea) – sweet and vanilla like
Laurus (bay tree) – pungent and aromatic.
Lavander – sharp, clean and fresh. Leptospermum – lemony foliage. Sweet flowers.
Leucadendron – soft and sweet
Lilium – orangey, spicey or honeyed.
Lonicera (honeysuckle) – sweet and honeyed.
Luculia – soft – incense like
Luma apiculata – honeyed. Lupins – perennials smell peppery or clove like. Annuals are sweeter with overtones of violet or vanilla.

Magnolia – rich and fruity Mahonia – very sweet.
Malus – sweet and pronounced
Mandevilla – sweet flowers.
Matthiola (stock) – clove like and swet
Melaleuca – leaves are aromatic. Sweet and lemony.
Melia azedrach – scented flowers.
Mentha – crisp cool and sweet.
Michelia – strong sweet smelling flowers.
Mirabilis – fruity sweet and refreshing
Monarda – orange like.
Murraya – jasmine like
Muscari – Incense or musk like.
Myosotis – fresh and delicate more so at night.
Myrtle – Fresh and slightly antiseptic

Narcisssus – delicate sweet and fresh.
Nasturtium – spicy foliage.
Nemesia – strong sweet scent.
Nepeta – strong smelling foliage.
Nicotiana – rich and sweet more so in the evening.
Nymphaea (waterlily) – exotic and heavy

Ocimum (basil) – pingent slightly clove like.
Oenothera (evening primrose) – sweet, slightly lemony more so in the evening. Origanum – sweet and slightly spicy
Osmanthus – sweet

Paeonia – rose scented.
Passiflora – delicate and honeyed. Paulownia – incense like.
Pelargonium – range vary greatly
Phebalium – scented foliage.
Philadelphus – strong and sweet.
Phlox – sweet and musky
Pieris – quite strong
Plumeria – sweet and rich more so in the evening
Primula – sweet and mossy.
Prostanthera – fresh smelling minty foliage.
Prunus – delicate and honeyed.

Rhododendron – scented flowers.
Romneya – exotic and sweet strongest in the evening.
Rose – varying in intensity
Rosemary – pungent and tangy.
Rue – sharp and pungent.

Salvia – some species have fragrant foliage.
Sambucus (elder) – musky and sweet.
Santalum (sandalwood) – exotic, sharp and aromatic.
Sarcocca confusa – strong and sweet
Schinus (pepper tree) – spicy foliage 
Saponaria – sweet with a slight hint if cloves.
Satureja (savory) – pungent and refreshing.
Scilla – Delicate perfume
Syringa – sweet and penetrating.

Tanacteum – pleasantly pungent.
Thyme – strong and fresh.
Trachelospermum – sweet smelling flowers.
Tuberose – sweet.
Tulip – softly sweet.

Verbena – soft and very sweet.
Viburnum – sweet and honeyed
Viola – Sweet
Virgillia – softly sweet.

Wisteria – very delicate