Choosing Scented Flowers for Shady Spots

Planting highly scented flowers can add a uniquely pleasant and unexpected detail to garden beds. Choosing plants that adapt to a wide range of growing conditions will help ensure that they thrive for several seasons. When choosing plants for the garden, the options are truly limitless. The same can also be said for fragrant flowers. While full sun locations are ideal for many annuals and perennials, growers with more challenging growing conditions, like shade, are often left in need of more information regarding shade tolerant fragrant flowers. While more difficult to find, there are several fragrant shade flowers that will fit nicely into most any design. Finding shade flowers that smell good will begin by deciding which type of plant to grow. This will depend greatly upon the amount of space available, and how much time growers are willing to invest in care and maintenance. When choosing scented flowers for shady spots, gardeners will also need to consider the actual fragrance of each plant. Ideally, you should smell each plant or flower before adding it to the garden. With fragrant flowers for shade, much depends upon preference. While some may enjoy musky odors, others may want to choose flowers with a more perfume-like scent. Additionally, some plants produce intensely strong aromas. To better prevent overpowering the garden with fragrance, avoid planting large masses of plants near paths, doors, and other structures. Depending upon the type, most shade tolerant fragrant flowers will require some sun. Though many foliage plants thrive in deep shade, blooming may be reduced if sunlight is limited. Well-draining flower beds will help growers avoid issues such as root rot, mold, and fungal infections in the plants.

Here are some of the most common fragrant plants for shade:

Heliotrope

Hosta, yes, these bloom

Hyacinth, prefers sun but tolerates some shade

Lily of the Valley

Catmint

Scented Stocks, can handle partial shade

Solomon’s Seal

Butterfly Ginger, partial shade

Daphne

Sweet William

Nicotiana, part shade

Sweet Woodruff

Woodland Phlox

Wood Hyacinth

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