Send sweet scents wafting across your patio with a fragrant container garden. Position containers filled with fragrant patio plants where you are likely to brush by them or sit near them. The following plants all do well in container gardens. Their flowers last for weeks—or months in some cases—so you can enjoy a sweet scent whenever you step outdoors. And some have fragrant foliage too.
Alyssum
A cool-season annual that blooms from spring until frost, alyssum (Lobularia maritima) has a sweet, honey-like fragrance that attracts pollinators and is a great nectar source for many insects. Alyssum’s flowers are typically white, but lavender varieties are also available. It has a mounding habit and will trail over the side of a container.
Growing Conditions: Full sun in cool and moderate climates and part shade in hot areas; consistently moist, well-draining soil
Size: Up to 12 inches tall and 18 inches wide
Zones: 9–11
If alyssum plants take on a scraggly, unkempt appearance, prune the stems back by half their length. This encourages the plants to produce new, dense growth and a new flush of flowers.
Lavender
Prized for its calming scent, lavender (Lavandula spp.) is a perennial herb that is easy to grow in containers. Group several containers of lavender together to make a big impact on a small space. Many lavender cultivars are available. A few color-rich favorites include ‘Javelin Forte’, ‘Thumbelina Leigh’, and ‘Sweet Romance’ lavender.
Growing Conditions: Full sun, moderate water in fast-draining soil
Size: Up to 16 inches tall and wide
Zones: 5–9
Lavender plants are toxic to dogs, cats, and livestock when ingested.
Pineapple Sage
Brush against the leaves of easy-to-grow pineapple sage (Salvia elegans) to release the plant’s citrusy scent. When provided with regular moisture, this large plant looks beautiful in a container through summer’s heat and humidity. Look for ‘Golden Delicious’ (shown here), which has pleasing, almost-yellow foliage that makes the red flowers pop.
Growing Conditions: Full sun with some afternoon shade in the hottest areas, rich and well-draining soil
Size: Up to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide
Zones: 8-11
Heliotrope
Sweetly fragrant purple flowers cover heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) from early summer through fall. It tolerates heat and humidity well, making it an excellent plant for the deep south and other areas with humid summers. Bees and butterflies are frequent visitors. Try compact ‘Atlantis’ or vanilla-scented ‘Incense’ heliotrope.
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade and well-draining soil
Size: Up to 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Zones: 10–11
All parts of heliotrope are toxic to humans and horses when ingested in large quantities.
Stock
Add scent to your spring or fall patio containers with the pastel blossoms and sweet perfume of stock (Matthiola spp.). This cool-season annual blooms in shades of pink, purple, yellow, and white and has blue-green foliage. It blooms from mid-spring until early summer, and can be planted again in fall once temperatures cool off.
Growing Conditions: Full or part sun and rich, moist, well-draining soil
Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Zones: 7–10
Hyacinths
These springtime bulbs are perfume powerhouses. A container of five to seven bulbs of hyacinths (Hyacinthus orientalis) will send fragrance all over a patio. Purchase prechilled bulbs and plant a container of hyacinths in spring. Expect them to bloom for about two weeks.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-draining soil
Size: Up to 12 inches tall
Zones: 4–9
All parts of Hyacinthus orientalis are toxic to humans, pets, and livestock when ingested.
Jasmine
The small but very fragrant white or pink flowers of jasmine (Jasminum spp.) can perfume an entire outdoor room. This evergreen, woody plant blooms from summer until the first frost. Grow it as a shrub in containers or train vining types to a trellis. Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac) maintains a small stature and is especially well-suited to growing in containers. Grow it as an annual in colder regions or move it inside in the fall to overwinter.
Growing Conditions: Full sun or part shade, consistently moist but well-draining soil
Size: Up to 8 feet tall and 15 feet wide
Zones: 6–10
Roses
Yes, you can grow roses in pots! And the right rose (Rosa spp.) can fill a container with color, cut flowers, and fragrance from early summer until fall. Try smaller varieties like ‘Honey Perfume’ or ‘Heritage’ (shown here) for long-lasting fragrance. These roses grow best in containers that hold at least 5 gallons of soil.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-draining soil
Size: Up to 9 feet tall and wide
Zones: 3–10
Lantana
Subtly fragrant lantana (Lantana spp.) thrives in hot, dry conditions. Its citrus-scented flowers open in tropical shades of pink, orange, red, yellow, and white. A single lantana plant can quickly fill a 12-inch-wide pot with lush foliage and bright flowers from early summer through fall. Some lantana cultivars are more fragrant than others. Lantana plants in the ‘Luscious’ group, such as ‘Luscious Citrus Blend,’ are known for their pleasing fragrance.
Growing Conditions: Full sun, regular water in well-draining soil
Size: Up to 12 inches tall and 24 inches wide in a container
Zones: 8–11
Ingesting the unripe fruit and leaves of lantana is toxic to dogs, cats, and livestock.
Moonflower
You'll probably catch a whiff of the honeysuckle-like fragrance of moonflower (Datura spp.) before you see the bloom. Its perfume permeates the garden. This night-blooming flowering plant has bold foliage, bright white flowers, and is most fragrant in the evening hours.
Growing Conditions: Full sun and well-drained soil
Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide
Zones: 9–11
Moonflower is deadly if ingested so plant it out of reach of pets and small children.
Scented Geranium
Not to be confused with perennial geraniums which aren't fragrant, scented geraniums (Pelargonium spp.) are full of fragrance. They bring aromas of rose, citrus, mint, chocolate, and more to the garden. There are dozens of scented geranium varieties, each boasting a different leaf shape and fragrance. These are annual plants in most areas, or they can be overwintered indoors.
Growing Conditions: Full or part sun and well-draining soil
Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide
Zones: 10–11
Some types of Pelargonium are toxic to pets, and livestock.
Tips for Using Fragrant Patio Plants
Just as it is possible to overdo it with perfume or cologne, the same is true for fragrant patio plants. Some plants, like alyssum, have a bold and long-lasting fragrance. A few containers of alyssum near a patio dining table might be overwhelming, but a single plant can provide a pleasing aroma in close quarters.
Also, avoid pairing multiple fragrant plants in a container or small area like a porch. The competing scents might be too much for a sensitive nose. Instead, showcase one fragrant species per container grouping.
