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Sweet Almond Verbena (Aloysia virgata)

cougar_roberts
19 years ago

Is this plant/tree any good? The guy who owns a small nursery near me tried to push it on me. He says it blooms most of the year here in Houston and attracts butterflies too! He had a 15 foot tree size version in the front of his place and said that it was on it's 4th year of growth. I went to go sniff a flower and it smells like a cola drink to me. My question is, does it really waft during the warmer months? The fragrance and the butterflies almost sold me, but I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone has experience with it. It also seems kind of leggy to me and I'm also wondering if it responds well to pinching and pruning.

Any help appreciated....

Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Almond Verbena

Comments (37)

  • angelsmell
    19 years ago

    I have been looking for one of these for a few months now, I love the smell and the look of the flower is very wispy almost like those butterfly plants, I met a lady that worked at a nursery and told her I was into fragrant smelling plants, she told me about her sweet almond verbena tree, said she didn't know the name of it, said it blooms and wafts almost all year she just loved it, she was nice enough to bring me a branch of it the next week to let me smell it and also brought me a starter in a pot but it never rooted. It really smelled like almond to me... she said the butterflies love it. I would get it if I were you.... I don't even know where to buy one, I would like a small one to waft on my patio..... go for it!

  • ariel73
    19 years ago

    I got one last August and I love it! Always blooming, great fragrance.
    Its growth reminds me of a Buddlia (sp?)-not compact. Mine is a small shrub but if grow as fast as some say, I will probably train it to be a small tree.

  • cougar_roberts
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Ok I bought one. Y'all convinced me. And yes, the flowers smell like Buddleia mixed with grape soda (maybe too weird a smell for some). I could smell it from 10 feet away and it only has 3 flowers on it so I can imagine it during hot humid weather with lots of blooms. Looks like I'm going to have to train it as a tree. Very leggy little thing right now....another challenge:) Hope the butterflies love it too....we'll see. Thanks for y'alls input, I appreciate it.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Sweet Almond Verbena (Tree size one)

  • Ispahan Zone6a Chicago
    19 years ago

    I am sure I will be all alone on this one, but last year I grew Aloysia virgata after hearing such rave reviews of its fragrance here on this forum and I turned out to be quite disappointed with the plant overall. Its growth habit didn't really bother me too much, although if truth be known it is a bit too much like a lanky Buddleia for my tastes, or rather like a cross between a Buddleia and a false ragweed. The fragrance was strong up close but did not tend to waft (at least for me) and I found it very coarse. A nice, smooth almond base with prominent top notes of something rank and sickly sweet. I will definitely not be growing it again this year (I let it be killed by frost after planting it out in my neighbor's flower bed) and will dedicate the sizable amount of space it required to something much more worthy, like a Brunfelsia or a tropical Hymenocallis. Just my two cents.

  • angelsmell
    18 years ago

    I went away for the weekend and my frien took me to a nursery in Goleta, CA, I was walking through a nursery and had to follow this pretty smell, low and behold it was this Aloysia plant, I was so excited! I have been looking for this plant for 6 months, on the way home in my SUV it smelled so pretty. I love it....
    Anyone else like this plant and where did you find it?

  • chargreen
    18 years ago

    I bought one last October from the Antique Rose Emporium. In their display gardens the almond verbenas are tree sized. When I saw what was the source of the fragrance that stood out from all of the roses I just had to have one. Mine just started blooming again and has really started growing during this hot weather. The sort of open leggy form really looks great when contrasting some compact growing plants. They looked great with the roses at ARE.

  • biophilia
    16 years ago

    I just complained on another thread that I couldn't find any reference on Google to "Sweet Almond Verbena Bush", then I tried it without the word Bush and it brought me here. You have a whole thread on it, already! This forum is amazing!

  • biophilia
    16 years ago

    Oops, I thought I was on the Butterfly Gardening Forum. I'm glad to learn that your forum exists. This Verbena is attractive to beautiful butterflies and moths, according to the BG forum.

  • john_janet
    15 years ago

    We passed by an almond verbena tree yesterday and did not know where the smell was comming from, so we traced it back to a large leggy looking bush of a tree with white flowers and in the course of events, we discovered what it was and how difficult it is to get one. Someone out there please help us find one. Thanks, John & Janet DeLage Thanks again!!!

  • mare2
    15 years ago

    Logee's has it.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Logee's

  • sherri6491
    15 years ago

    I bought a small twig, 3.5 inches tall, with two blooms on it two years ago at a local nursery. The nursery said it was an almond verbena. I was told it came from a cutting of a woman named Patsy (mentioned above)who lives near Moody, Texas. In just two years, it has become a huge bushy tree like plant. It is 10 foot tall, 6 foot wide and covered with a profusion of white blooms. It smeels wonderful and is covered with butterflies and bees. It's an incredible plant! Thanks, Pasty!

    I sat in the backyard tonight enjoying the smell as the sun was going down.

    I hardly recommend this plant.

  • patsy_b
    15 years ago

    Don't check Gardenweb much any more. Yes, I am the Patsy from Moody that lets the nursery come each year for cuttings. My original bush is taller than my house and you can smell it all over the yard when the wind is calm. It is also a host plant for some large moth. I think it is the Sphinx as the droppings look like a larger tomato worm dropping. Really a neat plant.
    Patsy

  • macgardener
    15 years ago

    I have a certified backyard habitat that is going to have a lot of this beautiful aromatic plant in it before I'm thru. I've planted for BFs & HBs and have a 65ft stream & 4 ft waterfall that attracts everything from Blue birds to Barred Owls.

  • edj886
    14 years ago

    After reading the comments, I really want this plant. Does anyone have any idea where I can get it in Melbourne, Australia?
    Thanks.

  • gusolie
    14 years ago

    edj886--if you're in Melbourne, why not a call to the Burnley COllege of Horticulture in RIchmond/Yarra?

    Someone could recommend a good perennial or other nursery by name that you could then investigate.

  • sweetmichelia
    14 years ago

    Does anyone know where I can buy one of these plants in Orange County, CA or in the Chino, CA area?

  • ttkc
    13 years ago

    I love my almond verbena so much, I give it as a housewarming gift. Mine is trained to a small tree beside my driveway and people always comment on the fragrance. It reminds me of the old Juergens lotion. Beware that there are two Sweet almond Verbenas. One is shorter with glossy leaves. Mine is woody with mat regular little leaves and the flower is a white panicle and here in Houston blooms most of the year. RCW nursery carries it and also Buchanan's. It is truly a wonderful small tree.

  • patsy_b
    13 years ago

    Here I am again....This past winter was really hard in this part of the country. My original SAV is planted too close to the house(so my hubby says). It is well taller than the roof so I decided to plant one out in the yard. The one in the yard froze back to the ground but is recovering. The one next to the house froze back to about 4.5 feet. My plan was to cut the closer one down when the one in the yard was established but could not bring myself to do it. It is the home for several bird nest each year and I really enjoy watching them. I think that the reason for the freeze back was from a mild fall and then a hard freeze without much of a cool down.
    Patsy

  • heva
    13 years ago

    I have to agree with Ispahan. The smell is sickly sweet and not worth it to me.

  • nakeen10_yahoo_com
    13 years ago

    Does anyone know where to find bitter almond shrubs? I have one in the front yard and it is dying back pretty badly. It is almost 30 years old. The flowers are double pink. I have looked for several years, because I know the one I have won't last forever. There is very little fragrance, just a profusion of color.
    Thank you for any help.

    Kathy

  • sunny3173_aol_com
    12 years ago

    I just got one of these. I cannot believe I had never heard of it before since I am always on the hunt for fragrant plants. Mine came in a 3 gallon pot for 15.00. I didn't pick it out and it's not the prettiest plant, scraggly and needs cut back and a fork removed BUT the fragrance is wonderful and it has tons of blooms all over it. I live Heliotrope and I can grow it in the winter here for a short time, then the summer heat does it on each year. This plant smells very much like Heliotrope to me. Vanilla, almond and cherry. Lovely!

    I did read on another site that the pollen and plant can cause severe dermatitis but only one person on a fairly long thread mentioned it. However, use caution, because it is known for that.

  • texansong
    11 years ago

    OMG. I fell in love with this plant and its delicious fragrance, but failed to do my homework before planting it. Thinking bush meant maybe 3' tall and wide, I planted it about a foot from my house UNDER THE EAVES. After two years of pruning it back because it was so leggy, I decided I'd better look it up - and here I find it's tree! Better get my shovel and find it a better spot and stop chopping on it.

  • meyermike_1micha
    11 years ago

    I HAVE ONE!

    It is one the best plants I could of ever gotten and in bloom right now. I never saw so many butterflies in my yard until I got this one! The smell is heavenly!!!

    Mike

  • olympia_gardener
    11 years ago

    Hey, MeyerMike. This Sweet Almond Verbena is not hardy in zone 5, did you plant it in a pot and overwinter inside?

  • fenius
    11 years ago

    Ok, I tried but they don't ship even on ebay and for some strange reason noone seems to carry it here even if lemon verbena is more common than grass..Can anyone help me find one available to greece please????? Any european nursery? I checked all I know of..

  • sah54
    10 years ago

    I planted one last year. It is doing nicely. I do not have a sense of smell, so I cannot comment on the fragrance, but no one has mentioned any fragrance in my back yard. I also planted two tea olive plants, hoping to get some fragrance.

  • FloridaSuzieQ
    10 years ago

    I bought this plant yesterday at my local nursery. I love the scent. Smells just like the name, sweet almond. I am going back to buy another to put in a container beside my front door. Weatherbee Nursery sells them if anyone in the Treasure Coast area is interested in purchasing one.

  • carmatt
    10 years ago

    Just bought two nice specimens of this plant/tree at Hope Farms Gardens in Cut-n-Shoot TX. Can't wait to enjoy these in the yard.

  • sunpetal
    10 years ago

    Where can I buy this plant in S. California, I live in Chino. I had one a long time ago and it died. my fault.
    my email is angelhairr1@verizon.net if your find one.

  • ncaru001
    10 years ago

    In SoCal they have them at Rogers Gardens in Newport Beach area

  • sunpetal
    10 years ago

    really? Thank you I love Rogers Gardens, I will go there.

  • sunpetal
    10 years ago

    I'm so excited I found the plants and I'm picking them up tomorrow... thank you

  • greendou
    10 years ago

    Bitter Apricot Kernels smell

  • sunpetal
    10 years ago

    If anyone is interested in Orange County, CA they are now carrying this plant at Upland Nursery, went today and got them special order. So glad I finally found them and close to home. Thanks

  • flowerladylorraine
    9 years ago

    I just bought this plant last week at a wonderful garden center I just found out about. For any living in s.e. FL it might be worth the trip for you.

    You park in the shade, soothing music is throughout the grounds as well as the sound of water from many fountains, plus birds are singing and there are butterflies, bees, colors, scents, textures galore.

    Besides the aloysia, I bought Tahitian Gardenia, Brunsfelsia, dragon wing begonias, a Wendy's Wish salvia, a little rose bush, purple velvet plant and and a different type of purple queen.

    The garden center is Amelia's Smartyplants and I believe you will have a wonderful experience.

    http://www.amelias-smartyplants.com/

    When I opened up the van when I got home the scents blasted me and it was wonderful.

    Happy Gardening FlowerLady

  • blakrab Centex
    9 years ago

    This plant sounds like it'd be a very cool addition, but not if it causes rashes?

    "I did read on another site that the pollen and plant can cause severe dermatitis but only one person on a fairly long thread mentioned it. However, use caution, because it is known for that."

    Has common is this? Has anyone here experienced this??

    patsy_b - What local nurseries take cuttings from your tree where they could be obtained from?

    Or can its seeds be purchased anywhere?

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