Honeysuckle spreads its scent from morning to evening, while climbing roses run from cloves through honey to musk. These fragrant climbers dress a facade, camouflage a wire fence or furnish a pergola, and most do best in the sun in very well-drained soil — meet that, and the flowers arrive loaded with perfume.
Prepare a spot for these in your garden!
Resilient and bearing many flowers, climbing plants help cover a facade with green, camouflage a wire fence or decorate a pergola or lattice.
Some of the smaller varieties can be grown in pots, they share their luxurious assets in pocket gardens and balconies!
Among the fragrant species, of course wisteria is a highlight, climbing to over 30 to 50 feet (10 to 15 meters) and so vigorous that the framework it rests on must be quite sturdy. Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) blooms in spring before even setting out leaves, and then a second time at the end of summer. Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) has a fragrance that isn’t so powerful but compensates this with even more flowers. Both do best in the sun in very well-drained soil. In a pot, indulge in the Amethyst Falls, smaller.
With their cascading flowers of old, climbing rose trees have a host of different fragrances: cloves for the immaculate ‘Bobby James’ roses, honey-scented for the ‘Wedding day’, musk for the pink-colored ‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’… so many to choose from!
All of these climbers are grown for their scent, but they differ in the perfume they give, the place they need and the room they take up. Use the table to narrow the field before reading the detail on each one.
| Vine | Fragrance | Position | Size or container use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) | Powerful; flowers in spring on bare stems, then again in late summer | Sun, very well-drained soil | Over 30 to 50 feet (10 to 15 m); needs a sturdy framework |
| Japanese wisteria (Wisteria floribunda) | Less powerful, but many more flowers | Sun, very well-drained soil | Vigorous; in a pot choose the smaller ‘Amethyst Falls’ |
| Climbing rose trees | Cloves (‘Bobby James’), honey (‘Wedding day’), musk (‘Paul’s Himalayan Musk’) | Grown on a support for its cascading flowers | Many types to choose from |
| Woodbine honeysuckle (Lonicera x peryclimenum) | Extremely distinctive, released from morning to evening | Sun or part sun, easy to grow | ‘Belgica’, ‘Serotina’, ‘Graham Thomas’; ‘Gold Flame’ for pots |
| Medicinal jasmine / star jasmine | Spell-binding jasmine fragrance | Sun, rich soil | Star jasmine is hardier and reaches 10 to 13 feet (3 to 4 m) |
| Clematis (armandii, montana) | Fragrant in these particular varieties | Head in the sun, feet in cool shade | Vigorous climbers for walls and lattice |
Once the spot is settled, the choice comes down to which perfume you would rather walk past every day.
Easy to grow in the sun or part sun, honeysuckle spreads its scent from morning to evening with its extremely distinctive fragrance. The most fragrant honeysuckle varieties are the woodbine honeysuckles (Lonicera x peryclimenum). These include such varieties as ‘Belgica’ with violet and yellow flowers, ‘Serotina’ in shades of pink and cream, ‘Graham Thomas’ with yellow blooms…
Also, feel free to pick Lonicera japonica varieties that have semi-evergreen leafage. For pots, test the ‘Gold Flame’ whose red and yellow flowers release spicy tones.
Another certain winner is medicinal jasmine which is happiest in the sun in rich soil. It can be supplanted by star jasmine, more hardy, that reaches heights of up to 10 to 13 feet (3 to 4 meters). Also try to think of clematis that loves to grow with the head in the sun and the feet in cool shade. Certain varieties such as armandii or the montana are fragrant.
Laure Hamann
Credits for images shared to Nature & Garden (all edits by Gaspard Lorthiois):
Blooming wisteria by Rosalyn & Gaspard Lorthiois, own work
Wisteria sprig (also on social media) by Rosalyn & Gaspard Lorthiois, own work
