A beautifully designed landscape should look good—but it should also smell amazing. Fragrance adds another layer of sensory experience to the garden, creating moments of surprise and calm as you walk through your outdoor space. In the Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, we’re fortunate to have a climate that supports an impressive variety of scented shrubs, perennials, and vines.
Here are eight reliable, landscape-friendly plants that add unforgettable fragrance to your yard.
1. Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)
Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer, with reblooming varieties into fall
Fragrance: Intensely sweet, classic “gardenia perfume”
Gardenias are Southern favorites for a reason. Their creamy white blooms and glossy evergreen foliage bring elegance to any yard. Newer cultivars such as ‘Frostproof’ and ‘August Beauty’ perform especially well in North Carolina’s heat and humidity, offering repeat blooms that keep fragrance flowing through the season.
2. Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)
Bloom Time: Late spring into early summer
Fragrance: Notes of fruit, spice, and strawberry
A native shrub beloved for its unique scent, Sweetshrub thrives in NC gardens. Its maroon, magnolia-like flowers release a warm, fruity fragrance. It’s adaptable, deer-resistant, and an exceptional choice for naturalized or woodland edges.
3. Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)
Bloom Time: Late winter to early spring
Fragrance: Lightly sweet
This evergreen vine is one of the first plants to welcome spring in the Piedmont. Covered in bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers, it brings cheerful color and a soft fragrance when most of the garden is still asleep. Ideal for arbors, trellises, and fences.
4. Lavender (Lavandula × intermedia & Lavandula angustifolia cultivars)
Bloom Time: Late spring into summer
Fragrance: Clean, herbal, calming
While true English lavender can struggle with our humidity, heat-tolerant varieties like ‘Phenomenal’ or ‘Grosso’ thrive. Plant lavender in full sun with sharp drainage, and enjoy fragrant foliage and long-lasting flower spikes perfect for cutting or drying.
5. Osmanthus fragrans (Fragrant Tea Olive)
Bloom Time: Intermittent from fall through spring
Fragrance: Sweet, apricot-like perfume
One of the strongest and most delightful fragrances in the landscape, Tea Olive produces tiny white flowers that pack a big punch. This evergreen shrub works beautifully as a screen or foundation plant and is exceptionally heat-tolerant.
6. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Bloom Time: Late winter into spring
Fragrance: Herbal, pine-like
More than a culinary herb, rosemary is a tough evergreen shrub with beautiful blue flowers that attract pollinators. Fragrance comes from both foliage and blooms. It thrives in full sun, poor soil, and hot conditions—perfect for NC summers.
7. Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii & sterile cultivars)
Bloom Time: Summer into early fall
Fragrance: Sweet and honey-like
Known for attracting pollinators, Butterfly Bush also adds soft, sweet fragrance to the garden. Choose sterile varieties such as ‘Miss Molly’ or ‘Blue Chip’ to avoid reseeding. Their long flower spikes provide months of color and scent.
8. Dianthus (Dianthus gratianopolitanus & hybrid varieties)
Bloom Time: Spring with sporadic rebloom
Fragrance: Spicy clove
These low-growing perennials offer charming, frilly flowers with an unmistakable spicy-sweet scent. They’re perfect along pathways, rock gardens, or the front of borders where the fragrance can be easily enjoyed.
Add Fragrance Thoughtfully
When planning fragrance in your landscape, think about where you’ll enjoy it most—near walkways, patios, entryways, and windows. Mixing different bloom times ensures your yard smells wonderful from early spring through fall.