Fragrance in the garden must be planned. It is not a given that all flowering shrubs are fragrant. The descriptive superlatives of many shrubs lack fragrance.
The pleasure to be gained from fragrance is a most personal thing, so each gardener must select his or her flowers and develop a fragrant garden to individual taste and preference.
The best course in selecting fragrant shrubs is to visit them in the open garden while in bloom and fragrant before you purchase them. Certain notably fragrant cut flowers may not be as fragrant in the open garden. Keep a list of fragrant shrubs (and other plants) for future planting.
Here is a starter list of fragrant flowering shrubs.
Fragrant Flowering Shrubs
| Botanical Name (Common Name) | Zone | |
 | Rhododendron ‘Northern Lights’ (Azalea, Northern Lights) | 4-7 |
 | Bouvardia longiflora (Bouvardia) | 9-10 |
 | Daphne spp. (Daphne) | Vary |
 | Gardenia jasminoides (Gardenia) | 8-10 |
 | Lonicera spp. (Honeysuckle) | 3-9 |
 | Vibrnum carlesii (Viburnum, Korean spice) | 4-8 |
 | Fothergilla spp. (Fothergilla) | 4-8 |
 | Syringa spp. (Lilacs/not all) | Varies |
 | Pittosporum tobira (Japanese pittosporum) | 8-10 |
 | Prunus x cistena (Purple-leaf sand cherry) | 2-8 |
| Botanical Name (Common Name) | Zone | |
 | Elaeagnus pungens (Silverberry) | 7-9 |
 | Skimmia japonica (Japanese skimmia) | 6-9 |
 | Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet) | 3-9 |
 | Calycanthus floridus (Sweetshrub) | 4-9 |
 | Osmanthus fragrant (Sweet olive) | 8-9 |
 | Viburnum odoratissimum (Sweet viburnum) | 8-10 |
 | Rosa spp. (Roses/not all) | Vary |
 | Hamamelis virginiana (Witch hazel) | 3-8 |
Also of interest:
Designing with Flowering Shrubs
