15 Fragrant Indoor Plants You Will Love

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The aesthetic appeal of houseplants is well known, but they can provide more than just aesthetic appeal to our homes. Our homes can smell pleasant and inviting when we have flowering plants and herbs with fragrant qualities. We can also use some of them to enhance the flavor and intensity of our food.

Check out these 15 fragrant indoor plants for a beautiful and fragrant home.

1. Jasmine (Jasminum)​

15 Fragrant Indoor Plants You Will Love

With its rich floral scent, jasmine makes a great choice for tea and scented candles. The shrubs and vines around us are a diverse lot, but not all are fragrant. The branches should be pruned or trained after the flowers bloom, as they tend to spread. With a little water and plenty of sunlight, jasmine is fairly easy to grow.

Plant it in a sunny spot, preferably with a southern exposure, and ensure the soil is always moist but well-drained. As the plant grows, a trellis may be needed. Indoor temperatures shouldn't exceed 75 degrees Fahrenheit, since jasmine likes to circulate cool air (as low as 60 degrees).

2. Lavender (Lavendula)​

Its calming effects and year-round fragrance make lavender a popular choice for perfumes. As long as the plants receive full sun, they can be grown anywhere that doesn't have excessive humidity or moisture. Ideal sunlight exposure is 3 to 4 hours per day from a south-facing window. For even growth, rotate the pot once a week. During spring and fall, the ideal indoor temperature is 50 degrees F at night and 70 degrees F during the day. During winter, lavender prefers even cooler temperatures-45 F at night and 60-65 F during the day. Trimming the stems after blossoming will stimulate new growth on the plant.

3. Calamondin Orange Tree (Citrofortunella microcarpa)​

There is a subtle citrusy scent to the calamondin that packs a punch. On warm, sunny days, it can be moved outside into well-lit areas. Container gardening is a great option for this dwarf variety, which blooms year-round. When plants are three to four years old, move up to an 8-inch diameter container. Make sure your pot has a drainage hole to prevent root rot. In order to avoid leaf dropping, make sure to water your plants appropriately: don't let them get too wet, but don't let them get too dry either.

Your plant must be hand-pollinated in order to produce fruit. There is nothing difficult about this. You can mimic a bee's action by dabbing a small dry paintbrush into the center of each flower and moving it from flower to flower. It's not necessary to hurry to harvest the oranges once they are grown since they last a long time. Humans can eat them.

4. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)​

Hundreds of different species of this plant are available, each with a woody, refreshing scent. Although they can grow up to 30 feet tall in the wild, they do just fine indoors if they have plenty of space and exposure to sunlight - ideally, eight to ten hours. Once established, they are drought-tolerant, so allow the pot to completely dry out between waterings and create plenty of drainage holes. If you are fertilizing in the spring, make sure you do it every couple of weeks. It is a fast-growing plant, so don't be afraid to prune it and shape it.

5. Spearmint (Mentha spicata)​

15 Fragrant Indoor Plants You Will Love

Low maintenance and fast-growing, this perennial has a fresh scent. Cuttings can be used to grow additional mint plants. There are many varieties of mint to choose from in the garden, including spearmint, apple mint, and peppermint. Keep the soil slightly damp, prune it regularly, and keep it partially shady. From spring until late summer, fertilize with a liquid fertilizer every three weeks. There are many ways to prepare the leaves, whether they are fresh or dried.

6. Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)​

Even though rosemary is technically part of the mint family, it has its own distinct spicy smell. A robust, hearty plant, it grows abundantly with minimal effort. Basically, you can leave it alone as long as it's protected from drafts, pruned occasionally, placed in a south-facing window, and not overwatered.

A variety of dishes can be seasoned with its fragrant leaves. A warm climate allows it to bloom all year round. Ideally, rosemary should be kept between 55 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Unless the temperature is above 30 degrees Fahrenheit, the plant will die.

7. Scented Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)​

There is a gentle, earthy scent to geraniums that will not overwhelm a room. There are varieties smelling like coconut, lime, and even roses, and they come in many colors. Decorative in any pot, they simply need a sunny windowsill to thrive. It is important to remove any dead or withered parts in order to foster new growth. The leaves as well as the flowers can be consumed by humans. Overfertilizing causes plants to become leggy, so be careful not to do it. To make them bushier, trim them back.

8. Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides)​

There are elegant white blossoms on this evergreen bush and its fragrance is similar to that of jasmine. Gardenias can be challenging to grow, even outside, so finding the right combination of sun, water, and temperature may take some time. Keep them in one location, preferably with some humidity, for the duration of your project. They don't do well if they are moved around too much. When the blooms turn brown, remove them if they are infested with pests.

They prefer a cooler ambient temperature during the day, about 64 degrees Fahrenheit, and a nighttime temperature of around 55 degrees Celsius. When indoor air dries out during winter months, challenges arise. Gardenia plants should be grouped together, spritzed with water in the morning, and kept humidified by running a humidifier. Ensure that they are kept away from drafts, and don't place them near hot vents.

9. Hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis)​

Hyacinths can have a powerful fragrance for such a fragile flower. In order to grow them indoors, you must first "force" them from bulbs. Keep the bulbs in the dark for several months by lining a shallow container with water and rocks. Place them in partial or full sun once the roots have taken hold. This will ensure that they grow slowly and don't topple over as they grow. They also like bright, cool, and airy places that are away from a heat source. Flower stems are about a foot tall, along with colorful flowers.

10. Miniature Roses (Rosa chinensis minima)​

15 Fragrant Indoor Plants You Will Love

When it comes to fragrance splendor, "sweet chariot" and "scentsational" hybrid roses stand out. When pruned and given a lot of sunlight, they bloom several times a year. It might be necessary to install an indoor trellis for types that trail or sprawl. They should have slightly acidic soil that is rich in nutrients. When buds shrivel up before opening, consider running a humidifier if the humidity is between 40 and 50 percent.

Although they thrive in containers and pots, they are better suited as "temporary" houseplants. It's best to plant them outdoors after enjoying them indoors for optimal growth and bloom power. There are thorns on these roses, which can pose a danger to young children and pets.

11. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)​

Adding this lemony herb to your home will give it a bright, clean smell. The leaves of this plant contain citronellal, a natural insect repellent. You can rub the leaves on your skin and carry the scent with you. It grows easily in bushy clumps with little care and fertilizer if it receives at least five hours of sunlight each day. Protect the leaves from sunburn by rotating it periodically. It can be placed outdoors during the summer, where it attracts bees and repels insects.

12. Plumeria (Plumeria rubra)​

Plumerias, indigenous to Hawaii, have a tropical fragrance that evokes island life. Because it's a tall, skinny tree, it doesn't handle cold well, so it should be placed in a room that gets plenty of south-facing light. The owners of some plants go to the extent of moving them around during the day so that they can get as much sun as possible. Temperatures between 65 and 80 degrees F are ideal indoors. The humidity can be managed by misting its leaves. You can allow it to go dormant in the cooler months by reducing waterings. You can use the pink, yellow, or white flowers to make lei or to garnish food.

13. Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum)​

Any space will smell like a proper restaurant when you grow sweet basil indoors. The leaves of this plant are large, lush, and green, and can be used for a variety of dishes, including soups, sauces, pizza, and salads. There are also Thai basil, lemon, and cinnamon varieties. Water regularly and ensure your plant gets full morning sun without too much heat. Avoid drafty locations. Once it flowers, it loses flavor and starts to die, so continue to harvest the leaves frequently. You can pinch off the leaves to prolong the plant's life.

14. Fragrant Tea Olive (Osmanthus fragrans)​

About 15 different species of tea olive trees exist, and their fruity fragrance has been compared to that of peaches and apricots. It blooms twice a year and has the strongest aroma of all species. Make sure the soil remains well-drained when watering it. The tea olive tree requires no pruning and is a low-maintenance container tree. Ensure that there is at least four hours of direct sunlight per day. It is important to keep in mind, however, that these plants prefer to grow outdoors and may not flower indoors.

15. Daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus)​

The essence of spring can be found in the aroma of vanilla and the vibrant color of daffodils. A member of the amaryllis family, daffodils come in more than 13,000 varieties. The bulbs must be stored in a cool, dark place before they can root and grow indoors. Group three to five bulbs per pot, and they'll likely show up in time for Christmas if you plant them in September. Support may be needed to prevent them from falling. The blooms of daffodils last for several weeks, but once they drop, they will not bloom again. You won't have to worry about deer and rodents eating them.

Which of these plants do you already have in your home?
 

baymule

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In east Texas, a yellow jasmine grows wild. It smells so good in the spring. It is toxic. White jasmine is not toxic and is available as jasmine tea, mixes with green tea. It smells good and has a light flowery taste.

Just moved to new place. There are no yard plants. Nothing. Gardenia grows well here. Bulb flowers can be left in the ground and don’t need to be dug up on the winter. I don’t have any now:hit:hit
 

Pulsegleaner

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In general, all citrus trees smell more or less the same in their leaves. Not really a distinctly citrusy scent, but a sort of clean one (in the perfume world it's called petitgrain, and is distilled from the twigs, just like neroli is distilled from the blossoms)

One, however, long ago, I DID have a lemon tree I grew from a funny looking lemon I found at the fish market that for some reason was producing citral in its leaves so that the leaves really DID smell like lemons. Wish it had survived.
 

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