Amy Draiss
Did you know that most flowering native plants are fragrant? They offer either scented foliage to repel pests, or sweet-smelling blooms to attract pollinators. Unlike those who propagate plants commercially, Mother Nature doesn’t care how gorgeous plants look, but only about how well they will survive and propagate their species.
So growing fragrant native plants in your garden can be a win-win. They are easy-care, they’re drought-tolerant, and they fill your landscape with strong, pleasant scents. Plus, these knockout native flowers and shrubs do nature’s work by attracting beneficial insects. Here are some of the most easygoing native fragrant plants to fill your garden with goodness.
Best Fragrant Native Plants for Your Garden
No matter where you live, there are plants that have evolved in your region and are specifically geared to flourish there. Native plants naturally thrive in their own particular climate and the specific growing conditions your region offers. When growing with natives, they do not tend to require a lot of help in terms of fertilizer and soil amendments – certainly not in the same way as exotics and non-natives.
That said, before you start selecting natives, it doesn’t hurt to test the soil with a soil meter like the Raintrip 4-in-1 Meter from Amazon, to check soil pH, nutrient loads and moisture levels. You can also add a little soil enhancement to your planting site with Back to the Roots Worm Castings from Amazon, which is a natural way to add structure, nutrients and beneficial microbes ahead of the growing season, whether you’re growing flowering natives, foliage plants, fragrant native shrubs or grasses.
Native plants are drought resistant and accustomed to local pests. That means there is less irrigation required, and fewer pesticides. Natives also attract native pollinators. All these factors make your life easier, and are better for the planet. What’s more, many natives are beautiful and offer a delightful multi-sensory experience, with aromatic foliage or fragrant flowers. Given this, it’s not easy to pick out a shortlist to benefit everyone. But here are half a dozen versatile and ecofriendly aromatic natives. If any work for your particular landscape, they are sure to delight.
1. Native Sage
Picking native sage as a single entry is a bit of a cheat. There are many different fragrant native sages that thrive in different zones (Salvia spp.). Sage usually has aromatic foliage, and some species also have fragrant flowers. If you love blue flowers, you can also get salvias that create delightful native blue flowers, as well as those with shades of purple, red, white and pink. Sage grows easily, spreading via rhizomes, and is also valued for its drought tolerance.
Try any or all of these if they fit your climate and region. Almost all grow well in coastal California in USDA hardiness zones 8-10, for instance, but some do well in cooler or warmer areas. You can get Crimson Hummingbird Sage from Amazon. Here are some of the most common native salvia varieties you can grow:
- Common sage: Salvia officinalis is the species plant with aromatic leaves. This type of salvia thrives in USDA zones 4-11.
- Hummingbird sage: This sage (Salvia spathacea) makes the air smell minty all through the growing season. It also offers fragrant magenta blooms in spring. It grows in USDA zones 8-10.
- Cleveland sage: This might be the most fragrant of the sages. Salvia clevelandii has aromatic leaves and the lavender blooms are also strongly perfumed. Plant in USDA zones 8-11.
- Black sage: This has super-aromatic foliage as well as small white flowers in spring. Salvia mellifera thrives in USDA zones 8-10.
2. Common Milkweed
Many of us think about planting milkweed because we want to help provide food for monarch butterflies. Monarchs cannot survive without milkweed plants, and many of these plants have been destroyed by urbanization. So the more milkweed we can grow in our gardens, the better for these beloved butterflies. Milkweed is also an attractive native plant for hummingbirds and other pollinators.
But this tall, showy shrub will benefit your garden in other ways. Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is lovely, with large balls of pink or mauve purple blossoms. This milkweed variety can grow in many different habitats and is found in the wild in pastures, ditches and croplands in USDA hardiness zones 3-9. Buy Common Milkweed Plants from Nature Hills.
3. Fringe Tree
The fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) is a deciduous tree that can grow to 30 feet (10m) tall. It spends the winter without leaves and is one of the last trees to leaf out in spring. But once it does, that’s when the fun starts. While the leaves of the fringe tree are large and lovely, the clouds of delicate, fragrant, white flowers are in another league. These large clusters of lacy white blossoms are impressive and smell divine.
The flowers actually look like fringe hanging from the branches. These pretty natives thrive in USDA hardiness zones 3-8. You can buy White Fringe Trees from Amazon. They come in pots and are perfect for planting between November and March.
4. Sweetbay Magnolia
This late-blooming native magnolia tree (Magnolia virginiana) doesn’t necessarily have the profusion of blooms that some other magnolias offer, but it is a gorgeous native to grow. Native to the eastern states, its creamy-white blooms are richly fragrant, with a delicious lemony-rose scent.
This small magnolia tree variety tops out between 10 and 20 feet (3-7m) tall and works well in small gardens. It likes well-draining soil, but also tolerates wet sites. These fragrant natives thrive in USDA hardiness zones 5-9. You can buy Sweetbay Magnolia from Fast Growing Trees for planting in fall or early spring.
5. Mountain Laurel
Known for its showy, fragrant flowers, these broadleaf evergreens grow slowly and stop at about 10 feet (3m) tall. Mountain laurel is native to the East Coast’s open rocky areas, sandy woods, mountain slope and woodland margins. It thrives in full sun, full shade or anything in between, although it prefers morning sun and afternoon shade. You can buy Green Promise Farms’s Mountain Laurel ‘Nathan Hale’ from Amazon for planting in fall or early spring.
Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) has beautiful foliage but also lovely flowers. It blooms from late spring to early summer, and both the flowers and fruits are showy. These plants make lovely native flowering shrubs for pollinators. The blossoms release pollen when pollinators like bees draw close, thanks to touch-sensitive anthers which trigger the release of pollen when pollinators visit. These shrubs, which make lovely fragrant plant options for privacy screens, thrive in USDA hardiness zones 4-9.
6. Wild Bergamot
Wild bergamot (also known as bee balm or monarda) is a native plant in the mint family. Its leaves smell sweetly minty, like oregano, and are used to make tea. These nectar-producing plants attract hummingbirds, butterflies and other pollinators with their charming fluffy pompom blooms on tall stems. Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) is a perennial that flowers from midsummer to fall.
When growing bee balm, this scented native plant prefers well-draining soil with lots of sun every day in USDA zones 3-9. Buy My Home Park’s Monarda Fistulosa from Amazon as potted plants. These plants are drought tolerant and deer resistant, and produce clusters of lavender blooms as well as a delicate minty fragrance.
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