Best fragrant plants

[Kelena]

I love this thread! And thank you to the very kind Punawebber who gifted me with pikake and a sample of pommelo!

Hands down the pommelo is the most fragrant. I am keeping my eye out for dward pommelo because when it is in bloom it is POWERFUL.

Was also gifted with two ylang-ylang tres, from Maui (thank you, Dragon Mama -- if they ever bloom, I will think of you). These are young but are taking off like crazy. I don't know if they will actually bloom here though. I first encountered ylang-ylang at a friend's house at about 800 feet, I guess, off of Volcano Highway. He had it in a very large container by the porch and it was INTENSE at night. Intoxicating smell. I have another friend in HPP who has one -- it has never blossomed. I am hoping for a better result. I'm on the ocean.

Something else that has been very rewarding are dwarf frangipani plumeria. I got them at Wal-Mart, cheap. They are very small plumeria and I have them on the patio. The perfume on this chica is very strong. I like them because they don't grow that big, are perfect for containers, and have a very nice perfume. Have had a few pests on them, but neem takes care of it.

[dayna]

Hoya smells lovely and I have them in pots around the house. I smell them all night long as I sleep. Love it! As mentioned, night blooming jasmine, trumpet, pikake, gardenia, all good choices.

Dayna

http://www.FarmingAloha.com
www.E-Z-Caps.com

[leilaniguy]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rene Siracusa

I never said that all vireya are fragrant, but many of the ones that are are intensely so - especially the Konori hybrids. Brugmansias "Monster White", "Grimaldi" (yellow- gold) and "Suaveolens" (pink) are fragrant.

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I've had all three of those Brugmansia and they all smell different from each other. Very nice.

[robguz]

Paklan and Stemmadenia are 2 of my favorites. There is a Paklan tree at Boiling Pots in Hilo, and 2 in the dog park at the Humane Society.

[Pinao]

I am particularly fond of Kwai Fa and Pakalana. Like others said citrus, plumeria, Pikake, and puakenikeni are also great smelling. Careful with the night blooming jasmine as that can get to be invasive.

[kalakoa]

Careful with the night blooming jasmine as that can get to be invasive.

I've heard that this is usually caused by birds spreading the seeds; leaving the native habitat unripped and/or keeping cats tends to mitigate this problem.

It will also groundlayer, but it grows upright, so some effort is required to encourage this behavior.

Note that night blooming jasmine isn't actually related to jasmine; it's really a cestrum, and there are other varietals (such as the "fragrant yellow") which may be better behaved.

[Susan]

Brunfelsia Americana aka Lady Of the Night. White flower, night fragrant, spicy. It's nice.

[Peter Easterling]

Angel's trumpet (Brugmansia, or usually I hear it called trumpet flower. is beautiful. I didn't know about the fragrance. One word of caution: the plant is poisonous, all parts, particularly the leaves and seeds. A few years ago on Oahu some teens were drinking trumpet flower tea. My son said no one ("except Ross") did it twice. From Wikipedia: The hallucinogenic effects of Brugmansia were described in the journal Pathology as "terrifying rather than pleasurable". Might skip this one if you have kids around.

Puakenikeni has a rich fragrance and grows as an attractive shrub or small tree. Not indigenous to Hawaii but is from Samoa so almost native, yeah? Pakalana is a woody vine that flowers in the summer with another wonderful smelling flower. And, of course, good old plumeria. All three are used making lei also. Good luck.

[shave_ice]

Don't forget about orchids even though they don't bloom all the time, they are still great additions. I have large coconut orchid (maxillaria tenuifolia) in a pot on the lanai outside the living room. When it is in bloom and the wind blows, oh man, is it intoxicating. The chocolate orchid is nice too, but I don't think it is as strongly scented as the coconut.

[rainyjim]

Oncidium's - orchids that grow like weeds and flower constantly (includes the chocolate orchids)