even a picture with a zoom from 100 feet away would help.
Could you be smelling something else? 100 feet is a long way for a smell to travel.
Big tree? Little tree? Flowers in panicles? Like a horsechesnut? In long dripping chains like a honey locust?
You in southern Iowa? it could be a honey locust....
Linda C

Hi Sirmatthew -
We had a most beautiful Spring that welcomed many trees, big & small to blossom so incredibly, beautifully ... whites & all shades of pinks!!! I am by no mean a tree expert but have 3 that give us white blossoms with truly lovely scents (a Pear tree, a Crabapple tree & a Vivarnum) & a young Royal Raindrop-Crabapple that just recently dropped all its mauve-pink with lovely, scented blossoms. Our whole neighborhood is so abloom it is awe-inspiring to walk or drive around!

I'm not surprised that the lovely scent reaches you from a 100ft distance. The windy days has permeated our outdoor surround with nature's lovely scent! Sadly, even beautiful scenes must end to give way to other performers to receive our ovations, right? Our old crabapple gives bright-red fruits (for each of its white flower) for the birds in Winter, Royal Raindrop bears, pea-size-plum colored, fruits for every Spring blossom it dropped ... of course, the pears, whatever my squirrel & bee dependents, leave untouched, turn into jars of lovely conserve, in September!

So, for whatever it's worth ...

"GOD warmed the world with sunshine and love ...
HE played a song of hope for all to sing ...
HE decorated Earth to look a bit like Heaven ...
And called HIS happy celebration, Spring!"
Auth. Unkn.

Take a photo of the tree (legally) &/or inquire otherwise just enjoy!
Happy Spring!!! :-)

If your tree is like the one we were wondering about this spring too. Try looking up Fringe Tree. I think that might be what you were thinking of.

Wow, I didn't know that Fringe Tree is fragrant - they are so beautiful with their creamy tips in Spring!!! Â;)

Could it be Michelia Champaca? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelia_champaca

I was looking for the same thing: name of a tree with very fragrant white flowers. From the helpful answers provided, I think it's the Chinese Fringe Tree. I had never heard of it before until I saw it (more like smelled it) while taking a walk in my neighborhood. Now I have to have it!

What kind are they?

My guess is Japanese tree lilac. They bloom quite a few days after regular lilacs and are around that height. I have never been close enough to see if they have a fragrance but they sure are pretty.

I think this may be the tree being talked about. We live in Omaha (zone 5b) and when we were helping a friend landscape at their new home, we dug up one of the offshoots by the trunk and planted it in our yard.

The tree is already providing full shade in the yard (04/17/16) while the other trees in the neighborhood are just budding leaves. The leaves start to grow quickly followed by the flowers. The leaves start out green then quickly turn a deep burgundy as soon as it stops flowering. The tree bears no fruit.

The flowers have an overwhelming scent similar to southern jasmine. The scent is so strong that it becomes unbearable at times. It is right outside our bedroom window so we sometimes have to close the window on nice nights because, while the smell is beautiful and intoxicating, it is unbearable in large amounts! This overpowering scent isn't in an allergy kind of way, it is more like if you sat in a small closet and lit 10 of your favorite incense sticks then stayed in there for two weeks with 10 sticks constantly burning!

I would love to know the name of it but my research has produced little results. It is similar to the 'summer glow bird cherry fruit' tree but it doesn't produce any fruit. (Edited) I've tried to post a photo but it isn't showing up yet. The tree I'm talking about is none of the ones mentioned in the posts here. My tree is is not ornamental yet it doesn't get more than around 40' tall.

Shad Burns, I was wondering if you have any seeds of your tree, and if you would like to trade for postage. Thank-you in advance. B

Might also be a linden. There very fragrant and a good source for honey bees

Pear tree?

Look up ivory silk lilac tree.

Tea Olive, I have one on the corner of my house and at night the smell is wonderful! It likes fall weather.