Fragrant foliage

fragrant shrubs

Great Smelling Shrubs

Plants and shrubs provide visual interest for people and food for bees, butterflies and birds. One of the most overlooked benefits when choosing plantings is ignoring the fragrance factor. There are dozens of aromatic plants that can be cultivated in the South Florida climate.

The sandy soil that’s prevalent in South Florida isn’t conducive to many plants. That doesn’t mean people have to deprive themselves of the joy of fragrant plants and bushes, providing that they’re given a nutrient-rich soil, ample moisture, and some accommodation is made for their needs. The following are just a few sweet-smelling options.

Butterfly Bush

This is a fast-growing plant with spires of red, white, pink, purple or yellow blossoms. While not as overtly fragrant as others, the sweet smell is a magnet for pollinators that includes butterflies and bees. Judicious trimming will keep it to a moderate 5 to 6 ft. tall. It’s best planted in containers to minimize insects and maximize appearance.

Camelia

The flowers are available in white, pink, red and even blue, and can attain widths of up to 4 inches across. The bush can grow 2 to 3 feet high and is one of the earliest to bloom.

Cherry Sage

A low-growing shrub reaching up to 2 ft., the flowers range from pink and red to salmon and white, with a bloom time of spring to fall. Butterflies and hummingbirds love it.

Gardenia

The waxy white flowers of the gardenia bush are perhaps best known for their use in high-end perfumes. Gardenias are best utilized in smaller garden spaces and in large containers.

Jasmine

Jasmine is available in multiple varieties, but night-blooming jasmine does exactly what the name indicates. It blooms at night and distributes its scent liberally throughout the environment. It can grow up to 10 feet tall and 6 feet across. The shrub’s night-blooming habit makes it popular around pools and decks.

Rose

While roses can be difficult to grow in South Florida, it’s not impossible to accomplish. There are several varieties that are heat and humidity tolerant and they’re always a favorite of bees and butterflies. Depending on the variety, roses can range from 3 to 8 feet in height. Smaller varieties can be grown in large containers and some feature blooms of up to 5 inches across.

RCH Landscaping is a full-service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians has an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

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Fragrant Plants for your South Florida Yard

People design their yards for a variety of purposes. Some are eco-friendly for water efficiency and others are planted to attract birds, butterflies, and honey bees. One of the most popular trends is the fragrant garden, planted to celebrate the many plants with pleasing scents.

Living in South Florida, you’re fortunate in that you have options not readily available to other locations within the nation that include trees, vines, and bushes. The following are some of the more fragrant plants you may want to plant in your yard.

Banana Shrub

Foodies will love this bush with flowers that smell like ripe bananas. It can grow large, but it’s easy to keep trimmed and within bounds. It’s very hardy and has one-inch flowers that resemble magnolia blossoms edged with crimson.

Gardenia

These are best situated in smaller beds, but they also thrive as a container plant where they can be treated to the nutrient-rich soil they crave. The large white blossoms are famous for their use in perfumes.

Jasmine

Angel wing and star jasmine have delicate white blossoms that attract bees. The former can be trained to climb, be grown in a hanging basket, or as a container plant. The latter is a vine that’s prized for its aromatic star-shaped blooms.

Magnolia

The tree is known for its enormous white blossoms that can be as large as a saucer when fully open. Highly fragrant, both evergreen and deciduous varieties are available. Magnolia fossils have been found dating to 100 million years ago.

YLang Ylang Tree

If you have plenty of room and want a shade tree that will emit the scent of Chanel No. 5, this is the tree for you. It’s the basis for the perfume and can grow up to 50 ft. in height. The aroma is said to be an aphrodisiac.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

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Fragrant Foliage

When people think about fragrance in the garden, they typically envision annual or perennial flowers in beds, borders or containers with a profusion of blooms. There are several different types of bushes and vines with lush foliage and highly fragrant blossoms that produce a pleasant aroma. They can generate enough fragrance to scent an entire yard and with some the aroma is particularly strong at night.

The following plants are especially attractive to hummingbirds, along with pollinators such as bees and butterflies. The philosophy of Feng shui says that fragrant flowers planted in a front yard will attract natural energy. Studies have also shown that fragrant flowers can reduce stress.

Evergreen Clematis

The lush foliage is ideal for screens and to trail over fences since they’re fast growing. It produces small flowers at a time when other plants typically don’t and the flowers are sweetly scented.

Gardenia

These shrubs are well-known for their shiny foliage and strongly-scented white blossoms. Their fragrance has been described as exotic and intoxicating and the plant is highly valued for its use in high-end perfumes.

Night Blooming Jasmine

While not a true jasmine, it has attractive glossy green leaves and white flowers that are highly aromatic. It’s highly cultivated in Asia and India for its use in perfume making. It’s a shrub that can grow up to 10 feet tall and the fragrance can be overpowering if someone is sensitive to scents. Use caution when planting, however. It produces berries that are toxic to people and pets if ingested.

Sweet Almond

Also known as incense bush, it’s a large shrub that produces white flower spikes and will bloom intermittently year-round. When in bloom, it fills the air with a scent that’s been described as that of almonds, almond cookies or amaretto liquor.

Wisteria

This vine can be left to ramble over fences and trellises, or trained to grow in the form of a bush. Depending on the variety, flower spikes can range from 6-12 inches in length and the scent fills the air long before the plant is spotted. It’s especially attractive to pollinators.

RCH Landscaping is a full service landscape company based in Boca Raton, Florida. We design, install, and maintain Commercial and Residential landscapes all around Boca Raton, Delray Beach and The Palm Beach areas. Our team of highly skilled landscape technicians have an undisputed track record of creating and maintaining beautiful commercial and residential landscapes all over South Florida.

Contact RCH Landscaping Today for a Free Estimate

561-779-9760

 

Read more
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