Fed up with boring, unscented plants? We will show you the top 10 aromatic plants that will delight even the most delicate of noses.
Anyone who thinks of nature and flowers immediately smells it. For what would our flowers be without their lovely fragrance? After all, the scent of flowers is just as much a part of a garden as the colorful blossoms and beautiful leaves. But which flower has the best, which the most exotic fragrance? It doesn't matter whether it's a dreamy tropical flower or an inconspicuous plant, a new breed or a tried and tested classic: we'll show you the ten best plants that will also turn your garden into a paradise for your nose.
10th place: Frangipani
Tropical feeling in your own garden? No problem! With the frangipani (Plumeria) you get a beautiful exotic plant in the garden that can do more than just look good. The trees or shrubs not only have beautiful flowers in summer, but also give off a wonderful scent. So it's no wonder that in their homeland on the tropical belt they not only decorate numerous parks, but also many monuments and temples (which is why they are also called temple trees). Its scent is so popular that it is now used as an essence in numerous perfumes. You forgive the wax flower that it loses its leaves over the winter and looks like a normal deciduous tree. The wax flower can also thrive in German gardens if you treat it properly. The exotic needs one thing above all: warmth. That's why it's a good idea to plant the flower in a pot, especially in colder areas, so that you can bring it inside to overwinter when it starts to get cold. And then there's nothing standing in the way of a dream of tropical flowers in your own garden.
9th place: Freesia
The freesia (Freesia) not only shines with its subtle fragrance, but also with its beautiful appearance. The lovely flower appears in a whole palette of color variations and flower shapes that also beguile the eye. The fragrant flowers made their way from South Africa to Germany about a hundred years ago and became popularIndoor plants, which is why they still evoke a certain nostalgia in many people today. But the charming freesia is by no means old-fashioned. There are now even outdoor varieties that can survive the cold climate of Europe in the garden and envelop your garden in a fruity fragrance.
8th place: Rose
If you think of fragrant flowers, you immediately think of roses. The rose (Rosa) is probably the classic among the scented flowers. It is not for nothing that it is the queen of flowers, enchants gardens with its blooms and belongs in every good cottage garden. It also impresses with countless variations in colour, shape or even how often it blooms. But be careful: there are also a large number of non-scented rose varieties. So if you want to buy a rose to spoil your nose, you should pay attention to a fragrant variety when you buy it. Especially old varieties or specially bred fragrant roses have a much more intense smell than the classic garden roses. If you pay attention to the right rose care, the flower feels at home in every garden and beautifies it with its classic, romantic charm.
7th place: Sweet pea
The garden vetch (Lathyrus odoratus) is not only an old, but also a very popular aromatic plant. Although referred to as a vetch, it is actually a vetch pea and is not related to the 'wild' vetch. Therefore, without its flowers, it looks confusingly similar to a pea plant. But once the climbing plant shows its flowers and exudes its fragrance, you can see that it is not one of the most popular climbing plants in our gardens for nothing. It bears its flowers from June to September and enriches your garden with an enchanting fragrance during this time.
6th place: Miracle Flower
During the day, this specimen looks rather inconspicuous. The flowers closed, the perennials withered. But what would a miracle flower (Mirabilis jalapa) be without miracles? No matter how miserable the magic flower looks during the day, it shows its full beauty at night. From dusk until late morning, the plant blooms in all its glory and exudes its intense perfume. The miracle flower not only beguiles with its smell, but alsowith her looks. When the flowers open at night, you can see the beautiful yellow, red or red-yellow flowers. A plant often has at least two, sometimes even three different flower colors - a botanical sensation. The miracle flower can also thrive in German gardens, but it is not hardy and should be dug up in winter and stored in the apartment. Nevertheless, the miracle flower is an enrichment for the garden and a must for all night owls who don't want to do without the scent of flowers in their gardens even on warm summer nights.
5th place: chocolate cosmetics
Are you a sweet tooth? If so, the Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus) is the perfect plant for you. Because even if this plant is unfortunately not suitable as a dessert, it does not bear its name wrongly. Because the chocolate cosmetics don't smell flowery or fresh. In warm summer weather, it exudes a scent that is reminiscent of dark chocolate and makes the heart of every chocolate lover beat faster. The plant is also not to be sneezed at visually, as it bears dark violet to dark red flowers. In its homeland of Mexico, the cosmos likes it warm and in Germany it also loves a location in full sun. She does not tolerate the winter well and should therefore spend it in a warm house. Otherwise, the chocolate cosmos can also be cultivated well in German gardens and offers a great change for everyone who wants something other than the typical floral scent in their garden.
4th place: Jasmine
The smell of jasmine (Jasminum) has probably caught everyone's nose. After all, there is now a whole range of applications, from tea to perfume, in which the fragrant plant is used. But the plant is not only popular because of its smell. The jasmine is also visually impressive and shines with deciduous or evergreen leaves and a large number of small flowers, which often bloom for several months. Jasmine can also have some frost-hardy varieties that also thrive in colder regions without any problems. The winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorium) even blooms from December to April and sweetens the winter with its blossom magic, even if it doesn't smell quite as intense as, for example, its warmth-loving oneBrother, the Arabian Jasmine (Jasminum sambac). This thrives above all as a houseplant and therefore also pleases your nose with its intense, sweet fragrance in the apartment.
3rd place: Lily
The lily (Lilium) is probably another true classic among aromatic plants. It is often used in old cottage gardens, but also finds its place in modern parks. When it comes to shape and colour, there seems to be no limit to the lily, it shines in all sorts of colours, spotted, mackerel or monochromatic. Probably the most intensely scented lily is the Stargazer lily, but it is particularly suitable as a houseplant. Its smell is described as somewhat spicy, but has many lovers around the world and is of course also used for a variety of perfumes. For the garden, on the other hand, you should use somewhat more robust types of lilies, which, however, have a less intense scent so that you can enjoy them for a long time.
2nd place: Lily of the valley
Even if the lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) looks rather inconspicuous when it appears at the edge of the forest in spring, it still has a pleasantly sweet smell. Its bell-shaped flowers and a certain nostalgic flair (didn't we all give our mother a bouquet of lilies of the valley as children for Mother's Day?) also make the lily of the valley a popular plant for the home garden. However, you should be careful with wild lilies of the valley: they are under protection and may not be picked or relocated. So if you want to experience the splendor and delightful scent of the small flowers in your own garden, you should visit a nursery and not the nearest forest. Here, too, you can buy the small scented flowers, without any trouble with the forester or the police.
1st place: Gardenia
The gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) is probably the queen of aromatic plants, it not only bewitches with its wonderful fragrance, but also with its beautiful appearance. Not least because of this, it is also popularly known as jasmine rose - an intense smell like jasmine, paired with the beauty of the rose. These flowers used to be popular houseplants in the past and are now often seen as old-fashioned, even though many people don't like their classiccharm still love. The evergreen plant is also in the garden and on the rise again because of its beauty for weddings and flower arrangements. Nevertheless, the gardenia remains most popular as a pot and house plant, not least because it does not tolerate frost. However, if it is brought warm enough in winter, it can also unfold its true splendor in gardens and delight you with its unique fragrance.
Tip: For stronger and hardy plants with rich flowers, it is best to plant your aromatic plants in a high-quality potting soil such as our Plantura organic potting soil. This is completely peat-free and perfectly tailored to the needs of flowering plants.
The plants in your garden can not only delight you and your nose, but also all kinds of insects. In this article you will find a selection of insect-friendly flowers for every season.