Looks like a good list to me. Another flower is Heliotrope---heliotropium aborescens and some of the daylilies, such as Kathy Rood. For more shrubs look into the Daphnes, and the Mock Orange. What about roses?

Love my Dr. Seuss brugmansia. In the fall, when the weather is still relatively warm but cool enough to open windows, the fragrance wafts into the house and smells divine.

Clematis terniflora is sweet autumn clematis and sometimes is fragrant and sometimes is not so make sure you purchase your plant in bloom or you might get one that has none to little fragrance. It is also a prolific reseeder so you may regret its placement in your garden. It is often incorrectly called clematis paniculata which is an evergreen clematis from Australia.

Another fragrant clematis is viticella Betty Corning. She is one not to be missed for fragrance. Subtle but one that I always pick flowers of to bring into the house.

Miss Kim lilac is a wonderful performer in my garden provided she doesn't get forced into blooming early due to warm spells and then getting zapped by the frost.

There are plenty of hedychiums including Dr. Moy and coronarium that do well in my garden. The only problem I have had with them is that they bloom so late in the season that they don't get to bloom long before frost kills them back. They are planted in full sun here in the piedmont of NC.

arabian jasmine and banana shrub may be marginally hardy for your zone but worth a try. possibly gardenia, too. i lost a large gardenia shrub several years ago during an extended cold spell of the low-20's. give those a sheltered spot if you can.
i have a viburnum x burkwoodii that flowers very early in the season - not the most attractive shrub in form but great fragrance.
clethra alnifolia is a fragrant, native shrub that i like.
one of my most fragrant tender perennials(may be annual in your zone) is flowering tobacco (nicotiana alata, white unimproved form). in early evening, it wafts over the yard with a sweet, musky scent.
you should heed the comment about sweet autumn clematis - it is very vigorous and may get away from you.
a word of caution about a few of your selections; some of those honeysuckles are on your state's list of exotic invasive species and are not recommended for cultivation. they can spread into wild areas and other parts of your garden very easily.
chinese wisteria is a rampant, aggressive vine here and is also on your state list as such. i am trying to eradicate it from my yard and it ain't easy! i find runners a great distance from the original vine's base and they peg down into the soil, rooting along the vine. it really is a beast of a plant, covering trees and anything in its path.

What? No "Cananga Odorata"? Shame!

(I've heard that some of the Nicotianas are quite strong, as are the Cereus-type cactus flowers)

Cestrum nocturnum 'Night Blooming Jasmine'
Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi'
Rosa "Secret Garden Musk Climber" wafts clove scent
Rosa 'Barcelona' aka 'Francis Dubreuil' can scent a room
Orange 'Valencia'
Michelia alba
Aloysia virgata wafts an almond scent
Narcissus jonquilla and tazettas
Clary sage blossoms

Foliage:
Mints
Rosemary
Vanilla grass
Marigold foliage
Scented leaf pelargoniums
Basil
Thyme
Oregano

Ribes Odoratum (I think that's it) well, Clove Currant in the vernacular.

The flowers are small, but I ripped out my forsythia and put these in once I smelled the perfume coming off just one of these from almost 10 feet away.

Eleagnus Pugens...Silverberry. A trifle weedy, but the fragrance was supposedly so strong that in some cultures men kept their wives indoors when this shrub was in bloom as the fragrance was supposedly too overpowering for the women (the story I recall had something to do with protecting the women's virtue).

~Chills

What about Butterfly Bush? From June to Auguest, the scent will knock you out...in a good way..LOL
BB's come w/different colored flowers, from white to nearly black..light and dark purple, pink, dark red.
Another favorite is Star-Gazer lily..Umm..Its scent is so unlike Easter Lily, which are now on the market.

If you can find inexpensive Plumeria, go for it..they'd definatly have to be dug up in fall since they're extremely cold sensitive..fragrance is heavenly. There's a nursery in HI..he sells/sold Plumes for 1.98 each..which is how I ended up buying several, planted in our zone 5 garden, and sniffed up their perfumy flowers all summer.
By your list, looks like your garden will be the talk of the neighborhood. Toni

Ah yes, Marie Pavie, one of the GREAT roses with a gorgeous fragrance and no thorns (also petite in size). Most chinas and some noisettes are not fragrant. Another favorite rose of mine is Souvenir de la Malmaison, a mildewy plant but with the strong fragrance of Asti Spumanti (or Wild Horse Malvasia Bianca white wine).

Not all Plumeria are fragrant either, some of the best are Celedine, San Germaine, Aztec Gold (peach fragrance), Charlotte Ebert, Penang Peach, Pink Pansy, Vera Cruz Rose, Kauka Wilder, Gulf Stream and Slaughter Pink (in my experience, there are others).

I totally agree with Ispahan about Tilia cordata - in Europe it is known as tilleul or linden flower tea - exquisite fragrance! (nice cuppa too) but then there's nothing like the scent of gardenia on a hot summers night under a full moon....

What about Sweet Olive (Osmanthus Fragrans)? There are some varieties that are cold-hardy and should do well around here (I'm in Durham). I'm also a fan of Plantaginea Hostas. They bloom in late summer/early fall and the flowers have a lovely fragrance.

cestrum nocturnum or night scented jessamine is one of my favotites, and does well in a pot in areas where it is not hardy. edgworthia is nicely fragrant too and hardy to zone 7. akebia is wonderful, as are parm violets. what about confederate jasmine- traceleospurmum(sp.?).

yours,

misha

i have just experienced the fragrance of a narcisus: bridal crown. it has a really nice scent - not heavy like paperwaite.
sue

The border of scented peonies (mostly festiva maxima) is blooming now and the fragrance from the two large bouquets I brought in perfumes the whole house.

I have a couple of viburnum carlesii and love the smell. While I can detect a slight medicinal scent when they first open, it disappears almost immediately. My husband thinks they always smell slightly "off" and he prefers mohawk which I think may be a burkwood cross.

I had heard about tea olive (osmanthus fragrans) and planned to buy one until I discovered I really dislike that smell--just me, my husband and our friends thought it was wonderful!

Calycanthus florida is famous for having a variable scent from plant to plant. I do think that a lack of fragrance is a serious flaw in a flower and my best advice if money is tight would be sniff before you buy.

Forgot to say--my most aggressively fragrant plant is tuberose, the single not the double.

Oh wow. I would love to compose a list of "violently fragrant" plants for my Zone 5, and colder, since I do better with the most hardy of the hardy. I have a mass of Russian Olive, which is rather overpowering, and I love it, but nothing else to compare to it. Any ideas? And I'm starting to search now.

I love the title of your topic. 'Violently fragrant plants' are what I'm always trying to find as well. Great to hear all these great suggestions. Here are mine:

Stephanotis (Madagasgar Jasmine) is one of the most violently scented plants I know. In Canada we need to grow indoors in the winter, but put outdoors on a porch for the summer the Jasmine fragrance is heavenly and powerful. It's a strong vine with waxy leaves and the fragrance comes from the white starlike flowers that come out in clusters. If you like fragrance it's worth growing, even if you need to winter it indoors. The flowers from these were tradtionally used in Victorian wedding bouquets.

Valerian is a perennial with white clustered flowers atop long stems, almost like a queen anne's lace. The scent is divine, rather like vanilla.

An annual with a gorgeous scent is allysum. I grow it just for the honey fragrance.

I agree with others that the old fashioned varieties of nicotiana and petunias (especially the white ones) have a gorgeous fragrance, especially at night. Worth growing for the fragrance alone.

Another annual with a powerful scent is Mattiola or Night Scented Stock. The flower is practically nonexistent, but the powerful fragrance is fantastic. I knew someone who always grew a pot of these on his windowsill so the scent would drift in in the evenings.

Here is a link that might be useful: www.torontogardens.com

My sweet autumn clematis is about 10 feet long when it blooms, but the fragrance is not as overpowering outdoors as I had expected. It's just OK for me.
However, I have some purple iris that are a patch of about 25 bloomstalks that knock my socks off outdoors with the most powerful scent sort of like grape koolaid. I don't know the cultivar.

jujube (Ziphyus or something like that).

Last year I put in a number of new plants, among them were 2 jujube's. Later in the season I was walking around and cought scent of something wonderful. It took me quite a while to locate it (as jujube flowers are rather inconspicuous) but it was nice as I recall.

Philadelphius (Mock Orange) also a contender

Clematis Triternata Rubramarginata (who can resist a plant with a name like that??) Small star-like flowers that reportedly have a hawthorne-like fragrance (I don't know what hawthorne smells like, but CTR does smell nice)

~Chills

Many of the plants on your list on are the USDA 'Invasive Plants' list. These plants can crowd out native plants that may be the only food source for wild animals or birds. Some have taken over wetlands and have completely changed the ecology.

Here is a link that might be useful: USDA Plant Database

Michele1958,

You're right to caution against Japanese honeysuckle and Chinese wisteria and the clematis as well in zone 7, but none of the jasmines Pierce mentioned are likely to be winter hardy in N. Carolina, and a number of the woody plants on the list are actually east coast natives, not invasives.

I dislike preaching online, but I think those of us who love native species and worry about invasive plants need to be careful not to throw the USDA list at people without context; we're not going to win converts by simply saying no. Also, being clear on what "invasive" actually means is important. Not every invasive plant is invasive everywhere, so folks need to check their state lists to keep up with what's happening in their area.

OK, sermon's over, let me practice what I preach and lay out some of my favorite native picks:

Absolutely go for both magnolia species, they're to die for fragrance and have long flowering seasons, just be sure you have room for their eventual size, or seek out the more compact cultivars

Definitely find some deciduous azaleas; they're a perfect fit for your climate, and check out some of the hybrids as well at places like Rare Find and Fairweather Gardens.

Consider a native wisteria species instead of w. sinensis, and you wont' have to wait 10 or more years for flowers. Unfortunately, native honeysuckles, though gorgeous, are not fragrant; l. heckrottii, a hybrid of native species, is always listed as fragrant but I've never gotten much scent from it.

Lonicera fragrantissima is one of the best winter flowering fragrant shrubs in the world, but it is likely to prove invasive; however, its hybrid, l. x purpusii, may be sterile and is just as fragrant; check the NC cooperative extension for more info.

If the jasmines do survive the winter, they'll start taking over quickly, so either grow them in pots and bring 'em inside for the winter, or hack them back ruthlessly after they flower.

You've got a number of excellent public gardens and nurseries in the Raleigh-Durham area, so if you get the chance and visit, you can smell things in person.

Finally, if you're ever in Brooklyn, can you hook me up with some real NC BBQ? ;>)

Jim

Jim you are right about using caution and I hope I didn't offend anyone.

What I should have done was just mention that there is such a thing. Most people that I've spoken to are unaware of the invasive plant list.

However, I do love the idea of an entire garden filled with fragrant blooms.

Cheers,
Michele

I think nobody has ever mentioned Ylang-ylang although they are not hardy in your area.

Ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata) is a large, tropical flowering tree. It has yellow flowers which are strongly fragrant at night. The fragrance is powerful and wafts long distances.

The scent is very complex and difficult to describe as it is a mixture of sorts. It has a complex tangy-pungent-floral fragrance with a mix of citrus peel scent and 'tamarind-like' overtones if you get what I mean... :)

Initially, it comes to you as 'strong' and 'heavy' but as your nose adapts to the scent, it becomes sweetly floral with citrus peel and tamarind-like overtones. (I wish I could just email the fragrances so everyone reading can understand what I mean.)

My absolute favorite however, the most violently, extremely, and addictively fragrant plant is the michelia alba (a. k. a., white champaca, magnolia alba).

Like ylang-ylang, it is a tree bearing flowers with complex fragrance but it is more on the 'addictively' sweet and fruity side. The scent is very tropical and fruity with hints of banana, apple, and even juicy fruit gum all combined (if you get what I mean). :)

Gardenias are also extremely and violently fragrant with a heavy, 'seductive', somewhat 'musky' floral scent.

Jasminum sambac is more on the sweetly floral side and has none of the heavy, somewhat 'musky' scent of gardenias. Jasminum sambac scent is a light and sweet, 'everyone-will-love' floral scent. Incidentally, it is the national flower of the Philippines and of a few other Asian countries.

Night blooming jasmine (cestrum nocturnum) has a strong clinical/sterile/clean scent that wafts strongly at night (talk about adjectives!). :)

At close range, it can be overpowering and headache inducing, but farther away, the fragrance just mellows down into a sweet, perfumey scent which anybody will love. It doesn't have one of the more 'to-die-for' addictive fragrances like that of the 'michelia alba' or 'jasminum sambac' at close range, but when the scent blends with the rest of your fragrant plants, the overall effect can be exotic and surreal (more adjectives!). :)

I wish there was a FAQ in this forum which not only lists the most popular fragrant plants but describes their fragrances as well based on inputs from members who know them. :)

I too love ylang ylang, but it is HUGE - I don't think you could manage it in a pot. I have a baggie of dried blossoms that I got in Zanzibar a decade ago, and the scent is still strong.It is a major scent note of Chanel #5 BTW. I make do with that or the essential oil.

I'm glad chills mentioned clematis triternata rubromarginata. I got it as an alternative to sweet autumn (that nckvilledude mentioned isn't reliably fragrant), and it's been my favorite for this year. Definitely violent--in a good way--and in any conditions. I guess they can take over, though.

Also, I didn't see anyone mention passiflora 'Incense.' That one gets so violent in fall that it just grabs you.

Was surprised that my little acer ginalla was awfully fragrant this year...in a privet-like way. Am mentioning it only because I didn't know until several years ago when someone on this forum mentioned it that there is a maple that's fragrant. And it turns such a nice orange in fall. Also, I find my chionanthus (virginicus) carries nicely, but in that weird, indirect way that some plants have. You know--where you can smell something powerful but can't tell exactly where it's coming from.

And finally, I didn't see anyone mention lilies. Mine are blooming now and it's definitely violent.

Mare2....My yard is currently awash with jasmine, privet, jujube, Passiflora "Incense" and The aforementioned Clematis Triternata rubromarginata right now. (I've also got P. Capsularis which has small vanilla scented flowers, though you have to get pretty close to smell them)

I'm going to have to make a note for myself that the Middle of July is just a wonderful time in the garden!

~Chills

Did anyone say four o clocks. I am sorry I planted Hall's honeysuckle and sweet autumn clematis. Both have taken over parts of my yard and I can't get rid of them. The shrub winter honeysuckle blooms in early spring for a long time. In my area, it doesn't spread and I love its fragrance. I can't really smell some of the plants named here. I think you need to go to the nursery when the plant is blooming to select it. I can't smell my goldflame honeysuckle.

OOh, i was reading this awesome list and had to see what the roses looked like...I googled right on to a great link; the website rates flower scent as well, and the pics are awesome!

Here is a link that might be useful: Yummy roses

I think jasmine molle is the most fragrant Jasmine. I don't see it mentioned much. If you google it you can find more info. I don't know if it is hardy to zone 7 or 8 though.
Hlily

Chills, what is jujube? That's a new one to me. I've been trying to look it up but can't find much information.

Also, did anybody mention clethra? That's getting powerful (if not quite violent--good word, btw) about now.

i can or could agree with you on some of the list, if you don't take care of your plants, i do have gold flame honeysuckle. i have it on an arch. every fall i clip it back to about 6" or so, and in the spring it comes right back up and just as beautiful as ever!! when we first bought our house, it had over a foot of dead vines under the live ones, i had to cut all that back, it was a real pain in the butt!!! now it looks great though, also on that arch is my orange trumpet vine for the hummers. and that one is very thick!! but it also has to be cut back. if you don't do this it all just dies for the next years growth anyhow. so i don't know why people wouldn't want to cut it back?? and severely!!! and the honeysuckle smells awesome!!! :') ~Medo

I like the fragrances of:
Jasmine Bell of India
Parijat-Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
Fragrant screw pine- Pandanus odoratissimus
Jasmine- Grand Duke of tuscani and
Jui-Jasminium Molle

Freesia, which will grow spring and fall in your area, Narcisuss, Oriental Lilies like Stargazer, Hyacinths,oh and Peonies. Do enjoy!

"Violently Fragrant"?? Or, Pleasantly aromatic.

Rob

Cestrum nocturnum is the only violently fragrant plant that I know about, nauseating IMO. Kleim's Hardy gardenia seems to bloom all at once, so I would call that powerfully fragrant, can't get enough of that.

I would have to say this is the winner; hand's down for "Violently Fragrant".

The "titan arum" (Corpse Plant). It smell's like a rotting corpse.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Titan-arum1web.jpg

I just went and saw one in bloom at the Denver Botanic Gardens last year. (Almost 6' tall.)

Rob