15 Evergreen Shrubs With Fragrant Flowers
Do you want to enjoy a long-lasting aromatic garden? In this article, plant expert Matt Dursum shows you the best evergreen shrubs with fragrant flowers to make your garden smell great year-round.

Contents
Aromatic annuals like sweet alyssum may be fun to grow, but there’s nothing like a fragrant evergreen shrub for long-lasting aromas. These floral-smelling plants fill the air with their lovely scent. Your garden will feel like an outdoor spa!
Many flowering plants produce these aromas to attract helpful pollinators like bees and keep predators away. The scents you smell are volatile compounds that evaporate from the petals.
Some flowers, such as petunias, contain seven to ten aromatic volatile chemicals. Plants such as orchids release over 100! Evergreen shrubs can also produce massive amounts of these delicious-smelling compounds.
If you’re planning on creating the ultimate sweet-smelling garden in your home, you’ll love growing these popular evergreens. Below are 15 evergreen shrubs with fragrant flowers to grow this year. If you aren’t sure whether or not a plant on this list is invasive, check with your extension office before planting.
Fragrant Tea Olive

|
botanical name Osmanthus fragrans |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
height 10-20’ |
|
hardiness zones 8-11 |
Fragrant tea olive is a popular evergreen shrub that packs a ton of fragrant blooms. In fact, it produces some of the most fragrant bouquets of any garden plant.
It has dense, deep green foliage that works well as a hedge plant or even a bonsai. What most gardeners love the most are its fragrant white blooms that appear in the spring through fall. Its flowers smell like a combination of stone fruits, honey, and perfume.
It thrives in areas with a little shade with well-draining soil. You can use it as an ornamental hedge or container plant. In colder climates, you can move it inside to enjoy some of its early and late blooms indoors.
Sweetbox

|
botanical name Sarcococca ruscifolia |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Partial to full shade |
|
height 3-4’ |
|
hardiness zones 7-9 |
If you’ve ever walked through a spring garden in the South and smelled the sweet aroma of vanilla permeating through the air, it was probably a sweetbox. This wonderful perennial grows to around four feet and produces thick green evergreen leaves.
In the spring, usually around March and April, you’ll see small, unassuming flowers radiate from the shrub. Although they’re not flashy, these tiny blooms pack an aromatic punch.
This small and fragrant evergreen grows best in well-drained soils full of organic material. Sweetbox is easy to grow and makes a wonderful hedge with its ability to train and handle frequent pruning.
Japanese Skimmia

|
botanical name Skimmia japonica |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Partial to full shade |
|
height 2-7’ |
|
hardiness zones 7-8 |
Japanese skimmia is a decorative evergreen shrub with fragrant flowers and dense, dark green foliage. It’s native to the forests of coastal Japan, where it tolerates mild freezes and long, hot summers.
In spring, it produces pink or white blossoms that contain complex perfume-like aromas that will fill your garden. It’s a short shrub with big glossy leaves and bright red berries.
This hardy perennial is easy to care for. Grow it in well-draining soil full of organic material. Feed it with compost close to its blooming times, and it will produce some of the best-smelling blooms you can imagine.
Hardy Thorny Olive

|
botanical name Elaeagnus pungens |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun |
|
height 12’-15’ |
|
hardiness zones 7-9 |
Hardy thorny olive is a small shrub native to East Asia. It has big, beautiful evergreen foliage that will make the perfect hedge plant. This lovely perennial can withstand cool winters as long as you get a lot of sunlight.
Although it’s invasive in the Southeastern US, many gardeners have fallen in love with its delectable blooms. They develop in fall in small clusters with strong perfume. The aroma is so potent that it will overpower almost any garden plant.
If you grow this beautiful shrub, you’ll have to stick to a rigid pruning schedule. It grows quickly and can take over your garden in a few years if left untrained. Although it’s challenging to keep this shrub under control, it makes one of the best hedge plants in warmer regions.
Daphne

|
botanical name Daphne odora |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun to full shade |
|
height 3-6′ |
|
hardiness zones 7-9 |
Daphne is a beautiful evergreen shrub with fragrant blooms that appear in winter and spring. Its blooms are often the first to make an appearance in outdoor spring gardens.
They have a slight citrus aroma that can smell anywhere from perfume to breakfast cereal. Because of its early blooms, it makes the perfect addition to outdoor hedges and entryways in the warmer portions of the U.S.
It prefers well-draining sandy soil that’s slightly acidic or neutral. It is slow-growing and easy to care for, making it the perfect compact hedge plant. You can also get it to thrive in containers.
Pieris

|
botanical name Pieris japonica |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
height 8-10’ |
|
hardiness zones 4-8 |
Pieris is a striking evergreen shrub that forms small clusters of fragrant pink to red flowers in the late winter and early spring. When it blooms, your pieris shrub will smell like a delicate perfume. Its flower clusters hang down in beautiful drapes over its dense leaves.
The plant grows slowly and produces lovely green foliage. It is compact enough to grow in containers or train into a hedge plant.
It prefers well-draining soils with slight acidity. Plant it near your favorite azalea or grow it on its own. You may see pieris labeled as ‘lily of the valley bush’ at your local nursery.
Gardenia

|
botanical name Gardenia jasminoides |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Partial shade |
|
height 4-8’ |
|
hardiness zones 7-11 |
Gardenia smells of the sweetest, woodsiest, most floral perfume you could imagine. It thrives in partial shade with well-draining soil. It can’t tolerate too much heat, so grow it in containers and overwinter indoors if you live in cold climates.
Gardeners love gardenias because of their fragrance and adorable shape. Most are white and rose-like. They look especially striking against the backdrop of the plant’s thick, glossy leaves.
You’ll find several varieties and cultivars with various sizes and bloom colors. Don’t be afraid to try this fragrant evergreen indoors.
Meyer Lemon

|
botanical name Citrus x meyeri ‘Improved’ |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
height 6-12’ |
|
hardiness zones 8-11 |
Meyer lemon is a wonderful evergreen shrub that’s usually grown for its delicious fruit. What many gardeners are pleasantly surprised by is its fragrant blooms. If you’ve never smelled citrus blooms before, you’ll be in for a treat.
Citrus trees are native to Asia, where they were cultivated into the edible plants we love today. The Meyer lemon is one of the most popular varieties for culinary uses. The aromatic essential oils from its blooms are also used in perfumes and candies around the world.
Grow this shrub in containers or outside if you live in warmer climates. A healthy plant can produce richly fragrant blooms twice a year.
Angel’s Trumpet

|
botanical name Brugmansia spp. |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
height 6-36’ |
|
hardiness zones 7-10 |
Angel’s trumpet is a tropical shrub that has big, beautiful blossoms that smell amazing! The flowers come in a variety of colors and fragrances. Most flowers are massive and look like hanging trumpets.
One of the best things about this beautiful evergreen is its ability to attract pollinators. You’ll get everything from hummingbirds and bees to bats. However, the plant is toxic, so be careful planting where kids or curious pets are present.
It will tolerate a little frost, so you can grow it in many areas of the U.S., especially in the South and California. It thrives in rich, well-drained soil and can thrive near salty coastlines.
Evergreen Wisteria

|
botanical name Callerya reticulata |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
height 12-15’ |
|
hardiness zones 8-11 |
The evergreen wisteria is not a true wisteria but has a similar growth habit to its vining lookalike. The plant produces thick green foliage and woody copper-colored stems. Besides its foliage, its true beauty lies in its aromatic blooms.
Grow this evergreen on a trellis to create big, beautiful overhangs. Its purple flowers will hang down and produce aromatic floral and cedar aromas that are irresistible.
If you live in warmer regions of the U.S., you’ll be able to grow this striking shrub with little issues. Because of its compact size, you can overwinter it indoors in colder regions.
Magnolia

|
botanical name Magnolia spp. |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
height 15-80’ |
|
hardiness zones 5-8 |
A magnolia tree can be a small shrub or massive tree, depending on its species. What each species has in common are sweet-smelling flowers that look like tiny porcelain cups. Combined with its giant, glossy leaves, it’s one of the most striking plants you can have in your garden.
As a short-statured tree, it will grow as a shrub in most warm-climate gardens. It produces purple, pink, white, and yellow flowers in the spring or summer.
A magnolia is generally easy to grow and comes in a variety of sizes. One of the most common shrubs is the Magnolia figo. This short variety produces blooms that smell like tropical fruits.
Plumeria

|
botanical name Plumeria spp. |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun |
|
height Up to 30′ |
|
hardiness zones 10-12 |
If you live in tropical and subtropical regions, chances are you can grow a plumeria. There are several common species and varieties, each with unique sizes and flower colors. Most are evergreen shrubs with thick green leaves.
What makes a plumeria so special are its flowers. Small, star-shaped blooms come in multiple colors, including white, yellow, pink, and red. Besides their attractive shape, plumeria flowers smell incredible! Think of the most expensive perfume or a dream vacation to tropical islands, and this is close to what plumeria flowers smell like.
Cestrum

|
botanical name Cestrum aurantiacum |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Partial shade |
|
height 5-16’ |
|
hardiness zones 7-11 |
Cestrum is a warm climate shrub that thrives in much of the Southern U.S. It’s one of the best night-time bloomers. Its bold trumpet-shaped gold, orange, and yellow flowers create a bright citrus perfume that’s hard not to love.
The plant is native to tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America. As an ornamental evergreen shrub, it grows slowly and is easy to train as a hedge. It can grow in a variety of soils and can even tolerate drought, making it perfect for California and the Southwest.
Common Jasmine

|
botanical name Jasminum officinale |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
height 20-30’ |
|
hardiness zones 7-10 |
Common jasmine is a mesmerizing and versatile flowering evergreen vine. It has star-shaped and bell-like flowers that bloom from spring to fall.
If you haven’t walked through a blooming jasmine plant, you haven’t quite experienced one of life’s great joys. This sub-tropical plant produces a fragrance that many perfume companies, incense makers, and tea aficionados can’t get enough of.
It’s an easy-to-grow plant and can thrive in a variety of conditions. It won’t tolerate hard freezes, so try it as an indoor container plant in cold climates.
Calamondin Orange

|
botanical name Citrus x microcarpa |
---|---|
|
sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
|
height 3-20’ |
|
hardiness zones 10-11 |
The calamondin orange produces juicy, sweet fruit and sweet-smelling blossoms that resemble orange meringue pie mixed with honey. With a little trimming, you can keep this versatile citrus as a shrub. Or, let it grow to reach tree size.
The entire plant smells beautiful, from its fragrant flowers and fruit to its dark green, waxy leaves. Its flowers have small, white petals that bloom throughout the year, especially in spring.
This citrus is easy to maintain as long as you live in a warm climate. It won’t tolerate frosts. However, it flourishes in containers, so cold-weather gardeners can move it inside when the weather turns blustery.