20 Highly Fragrant Flowers You Can Grow From Seed

𝟮𝟬 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱: A fragrant garden adds another dimension to gardening. Beyond the colors and shapes of flowers, scent can change throughout the day. Some plants release their strongest perfume in the evening, while others fill the garden with fragrance during warm, sunny afternoons.

Fortunately, many wonderfully aromatic flowers can be grown from seed. Here are 20 flowers worth considering, including old-fashioned favorites, unusual varieties, and several excellent choices for an evening garden.

𝟭. 𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗲 - Tuberose is famous for its intense, luxurious perfume. Its white flowers produce a rich, almost exotic scent that becomes especially noticeable after sunset. It is a tender perennial and can be grown from seed, although it requires a long growing season.

𝟮. 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 - Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) is one of the great stars of an evening garden. Its enormous white blooms unfurl around dusk, creating a beautiful display as daylight fades. The vigorous vines are ideal for trellises, fences, arbors, and other structures where their flowers can be enjoyed at eye level.

𝟯. 𝗡𝗶𝗰𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 - Nicotiana, also known as flowering tobacco, is an excellent plant for anyone who enjoys spending time outdoors after dark. Many varieties release their perfume as evening approaches, making them particularly effective around patios, porches, and windows. There are numerous forms and flower colors available, so it is worth exploring different varieties.

𝟰. 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸 - Night scented stock is a wonderful example of a plant whose scent is far more impressive than its appearance might suggest. Its small flowers open their aromatic performance as darkness arrives, making this an excellent companion for other evening blooming plants.

𝟱. 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗮 - Sweet peas combine beautiful, colorful blooms with one of the classic scents of the spring garden. They are particularly well suited to trellises, fences, and obelisks. Because they prefer cool conditions, they are best treated as a cool season crop in many gardens.

𝟲. 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗼𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲 - Heliotrope is worth growing simply for the unusual character of its perfume. Depending on the variety and individual plant, gardeners often detect notes reminiscent of vanilla, cherry, almond, or grape. The rounded clusters of flowers also make it attractive in containers and mixed borders.

𝟳. 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢'𝗖𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 - Four O’Clocks are named for their tendency to open in the late afternoon, making them naturally suited to gardens that come alive toward evening. They produce trumpet shaped flowers in shades ranging from white and yellow to pink, red, and combinations of several colors.

𝟴. 𝗗𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 - Dames Rocket has a relaxed cottage garden appearance, with upright stems carrying clusters of purple, pink, or white flowers. Its perfume becomes more noticeable later in the day. It can self seed readily, so give it some space if you want to let it establish naturally.

𝟵. 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲 - Mignonette is a wonderful plant for gardeners who appreciate understated flowers with an unexpected reward. The flowers are small and relatively inconspicuous, but they produce a warm, honeyed scent. It is an excellent choice for containers or locations close to a path where its perfume can be appreciated.

𝟭𝟬. 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - Carnations have a long history as cut flowers and garden plants, and traditional varieties are known for their spicy, clove-like perfume. When growing carnations from seed, choose varieties specifically described as fragrant because scent varies considerably among modern cultivars.

𝟭𝟭. 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺 - Sweet William provides colorful clusters of flowers in shades of pink, red, burgundy, white, and combinations of these colors. Fragrant forms carry the familiar spicy character associated with Dianthus and make excellent additions to cottage gardens and informal borders.

𝟭𝟮. 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝘆𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺 - Sweet alyssum may be small, but a large planting can produce a noticeable honey like perfume. It makes an excellent edging plant, groundcover, or container companion. Because it is so easy to grow from seed, it is also one of the best choices for beginning gardeners.

𝟭𝟯. 𝗦𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝗻 - Sweet Sultan is an old fashioned annual that deserves a place in more gardens. Its attractive flowers have a pleasant spicy character, and the stems are useful for cutting. It is a good choice for gardeners looking for something less commonly grown.

𝟭𝟰. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗲 - Evening primrose produces cheerful yellow flowers that open later in the day. Its scent is more delicate than that of some of the plants on this list, but it contributes beautifully to an evening garden and is also an interesting plant for wildlife friendly landscapes.

𝟭𝟱. 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗮𝗺 - Garden balsam is an old fashioned annual that produces attractive flowers in a variety of colors. It is particularly rewarding for gardeners who enjoy growing traditional cottage garden plants from seed. Fragrance varies between varieties, so seek out scented selections if perfume is important to you.

𝟭𝟲. 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘂𝘀 𝗩𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 - Dianthus is a large and diverse group, and its scent varies widely among species and cultivars. Look for varieties described as fragrant, highly fragrant, or clove scented. Their compact growth makes them useful along paths, in rock gardens, containers, and flower borders.

𝟭𝟳. 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗴𝗲 - Clary sage brings something different to a fragrant garden. Rather than having a conventional floral perfume, it has a distinctive herbal and musky character. Its tall flower stems and large bracts also give it architectural interest, making it useful in informal and pollinator friendly gardens.

𝟭𝟴. 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁 - Angels trumpet (Brugmansia) produces enormous, pendulous trumpet shaped flowers that can perfume an entire outdoor sitting area. The plants are tropical and generally need to be grown in containers or overwintered indoors in colder climates. Growing them from seed can be particularly rewarding because of the spectacular flowers.

𝟭𝟵. 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹'𝘀 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁 (𝗗𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮) - Datura metel, inoxia, and wrightii are striking flowering plants. Depending on the species they have large, trumpet-shaped blooms, often white, purple, or richly double patterned. Its aroma is sweet, floral, and somewhat exotic, becoming more noticeable in the evening and at night. 

𝟮𝟬. 𝗬𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 (𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗮) - Yellow moss rose is an heirloom and single flower variety. Unlike many modern varieties, these blooms are delightfully fragrant, with the yellow flowers offering the sweetest, most noticeable scent on sunny days. Their cheerful blossoms open wide in the sunshine, attracting bees, butterflies, and other beneficial pollinators. 

𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻

If your goal is to create a garden that becomes increasingly aromatic as the sun goes down, combine several plants with different blooming times.

Consider planting moonflower for large, luminous evening blooms, nicotiana for a powerful nighttime presence, tuberose for an intensely perfumed display, four o clocks for late afternoon color, night scented stock for its evening perfume, and dames rocket for a cottage garden feel.

Place these plants near a porch, patio, outdoor seating area, walkway, or frequently opened window. Fragrance is best appreciated when plants are close enough for you to encounter their scent naturally.

𝗔 𝗙𝗲𝘄 𝗨𝗻𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻

For gardeners who enjoy growing something less familiar, several plants on this list stand out. These plants can turn an ordinary flower bed into something that changes character throughout the day.

1. Mignonette has almost unassuming flowers but a wonderful perfume.

2. Heliotrope offers an unusual scent often compared with vanilla, cherry, or almond.

3. Sweet Sultan is an old fashioned flower that is less commonly seen in today's gardens.

4. Night scented stock demonstrates how dramatically a plant can change from day to night.

5. Moonflower (Ipomoea alba) combines spectacular flowers with an evening display.

6. Nicotiana is especially useful when the garden is intended to be enjoyed after sunset.

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲

One important thing to remember is that fragrance is not guaranteed simply because two plants belong to the same species.

Breeding has produced many varieties selected primarily for flower size, color, form, or productivity. As a result, scent can vary substantially between cultivars.

When shopping for seed, look for descriptions such as fragrant, highly fragrant, sweetly scented, perfumed, clove scented, or night scented.

It is also worth remembering that temperature, humidity, time of day, and the age of the flowers can all influence how strongly a plant smells.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗼𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻

A fragrant garden encourages us to slow down. Color catches our attention from across the garden, but fragrance often rewards us when we stop, walk closer, and spend time among the plants.

By combining daytime performers such as sweet peas, heliotrope, carnations, mignonette, and sweet alyssum with evening specialists such as moonflower, nicotiana, tuberose, four o clocks, and night scented stock, you can create a garden that changes throughout the day.

And perhaps that is the most enjoyable part of growing fragrant flowers from seed: watching something so small develop into a plant that can transform an entire corner of the garden with its scent.