Most Fragrant Evergreen Shrubs
If you’re considering adding some amazing aromas to your landscape or yard this year, don’t forget about evergreen shrubs. Evergreens have many uses in your yard and landscape including a few with some of the most intoxicating scents.
Here’s our list of the top 10 fragrant evergreen shrubs. Keep in mind that the fragrance does not come from just flowers!
| Plant | Grow Zones | Characteristics | Bloom Period |
Fragrant Tea Olive |
7 to 10 | Also known as known as sweet osmanthus, sweet olive, tea olive, and fragrant olive. Can grow as a multi-trunk tree. | Fall and sometimes again in the spring |
Curly Leaf Ligustrum |
7 to 10 | Also known as Recurvifolium Privet. Fast-growing evergreen that is popular as a privacy hedge. Clusters of white flowers have a strong scent that will attract many pollinators. | Spring & summer |
Fragrant Sweetbox |
7 to 9 | Shade-loving shrub also known as Sarcococca hookeriana, Fragrant Sweet Box is a deer-resistant evergreen with flowers that have an amazing sweet scent. | Winter |
Winter Sun Mahonia |
7 to 9 | Lemon-yellow spikes of bell-shaped flowers have a scent similar to lily of the valley. | Late winter to early spring |
Mountain Fire Pieris |
5 to 8 | Pink to white clusters of bell-shaped blooms dangle down the shrub. Blooms can last for a month. Shade-loving, drought tolerant, and deer resistant. | Spring |
Frost Proof Gardenia |
7 to 10 | Snow white blooms have a traditional sweet gardenia scent. | Summer |
Variegated Pittsoporum |
7 to 11 | Fast-growing with white blooms in spring. The foliage has a citrus aroma when rubbed. Used for hedges and privacy. | Spring |
Persian 'Bearss' Lime |
4 to 11* | A dwarf tree that can be pruned to be more of a shrub. Amazing spicy, citrus aroma from the blooms. It can be grown outdoors year-round in zones 8 to 11. Grow in a container and bring indoors in winter for all other zones. Dwarf Meyer Lemon is another good choice for citrus with fragrant flowers. | Spring |
Mahonia Shrubs |
5 to 9 | Oregon Grape Holly is a Mahonia shrub that is one the first bloomers in late winter, or early spring. Their fragrance is similar to the lily of the valley. Strong attraction for pollinators, including honey bees. | Late winter to early spring |
Bay Laurel |
4 to 11* | Also called Sweet Bay, these are the leaves used in cooking. Many spice racks have dried Bay leaves that are used in soups, stews & sauces. There are no blooms but the fragrance of the foliage more than makes up for it. | The spicy scent is from the foliage |
The fragrance and bloom period can fluctuate with weather conditions and amount of sunlight. Select and plant the right shrubs and you can enjoy amazing fragrance from your evergreen shrubs for all 4 seasons.
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USDA Hardiness Grow Zone Map
What are Grow Zones? Learn More
Fragrant Evergreen Shrubs Frequently Asked Questions
What are some other fragrant evergreen shrubs?
The southern classic Azalea shrub has many fragrant varieties. Another popular evergreen for their large clusters of spicy flowers is the Korean Spice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii).
Do any evergreen shrubs have fragrant leaves?
The Alpine Mint Bush, Prostanthera cuneata, has leaves that emit a minty aroma all year long. Another is the Ccommon Myrtle shrub, myrtus communis. Every part of this broadleaf evergreen is fragrant, including the glossy, deep green leaves. The Common Myrtle is also fast-growing, and popular used as a hedge.
Is there an evergreen shrub that smells like Jasmine?
Yes! Abelia. shrubs produce dainty, bell-shaped blooms through spring and summer. One of the most fragrant Abelia is abelia chinensis, commonly called 'Sweet Emotion'. It also cold hardy to Grow Zone 4.
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