Even in the bathroom?
We’re going to talk about aromatic houseplants that smell good and offer delicious scents for inside your home.
You’ll want to put them in every room, including the bath!
For the past few days, it’s been alternating between raining and snowing here in the Pacific Northwest.
The outside trees and plants are so confused. Blooming earlier than they should be, they’re probably shivering all the way down to the tips of their roots. Poor things!
Even though the weather is discouraging, spring is truly just around the corner and the anticipation is building waiting for it to finally come.
At least, I keep hoping spring is just around the corner. I’ve got spring fever bad!
Spring Fever
When I get spring fever, I turn to my indoor plants for comfort and delicious scents. They smell so good!
Stuck inside on these long, cold, winter days, I love having plants around the house to remind me about green life. I talk to them, water them, and clean their leaves. They reward me with their stalwart cheeriness.
Besides that, it’s good to have plants inside your house.
They have been proven to help clean the air and reduce stress.
You can use them to add “that” special touch to your décor.
They take the edges off square corners.
And they do more.
Plants can add wonderful fragrances to your home depending on what variety you have around. Fragrances like citrus, spicy, flowery, fruity… you get the idea.
My Favorite Plants That Smell So Good
I’ve rounded up some of my favorite plants that offer fabulous aromas to share with you.
Can you smell them? Mmm, they smell so good here. Smellivision!
Bring one or more of these plants inside and you’ll feel like it’s spring inside your house every day! It’ll smell good too!
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus cinereal)
Eucalyptus is our first aromatic houseplant. The leaves contain anti-oxidents and might help reduce inflammation.
Eucalyptus plants grow really fast. If you start a seed in the spring, it can grow to 8 feet tall by winter! You will have to transplant it outdoors or keep it trimmed.
Eucalyptus features blue-gray foliage that has a distinct aroma. Some describe the aroma as a fresh, minty, pine scent. Others don’t like the smell, thinking it smells like medicine.
If you decide to get a eucalyptus plant, don’t plant eucalyptus in a round pot. Instead, plant in a cone-shaped Air-pot so you can transplant it outside later. If you plant it in a round pot, the roots will circle the pot and you won’t be able to get it out.
- Place in a bright spot with no hot or cold drafts
- Use well-drained potting soil.
- Water regularly.
- Fertilize weekly with a low nitrogen fertilizer.
- Prune it back to keep the plant full and bushy.
You can find Eucalyptus (plus mint and rosemary) here at Amazon.
Flowers That Smell Good
Here are some of my favorite flowering plants to have indoors for their wonderful scents.
Gardenia (Gardenia augusta)
Native to tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar, and Pacific Islands, gardenias belong to the coffee family.
Gardenias are very fragrant with a heavy flowery scent. They have glossy dark green leaves with white flowers that are either single or double.
Usually grown outdoors, gardenias also make a nice aromatic houseplant that will add a flowery scent to your home. You can always tell when a gardenia is in bloom. It’s a plant that smells so good in its own way.
Take note, they can be a bit finicky about their care.
- They require bright light and high humidity.
- Place your plant in a very bright spot with no drafts.
- It likes cooler nighttime temperatures and warmer daytime temperatures.
- Provide high humidity. Dry air will cause the blossoms to drop. Use a humidifier around the plant or place it on a tray with pebbles and water in it.
- Water to keep the soil moist but do not overwater.
- Fertilize it regularly in the spring and summer.
You can find an indoor gardenia tree here at Amazon.
Scented Geraniums (Pelargonium)
There are over 100 varieties of scented geraniums with different leaf shapes and textures, blossom colors, and of course, aromas. They’re happy growing inside your house in a pot or planted outdoors.
Scented geraniums are first categorized by their scent. Each type has its own unique odor. You can actually get luscious smells ranging from apple, apricot, lemon, mint, nutmeg, and strawberry to others.
The tiny flowers are beautiful and run the gamut from white to shades of lilac and pink to red.
The foliage is beautiful and aromatic too. Scented geraniums are known for their interesting leaf shapes. You will see leaves that are rounded or finely cut and lacy, smooth or fuzzy. The foliage colors can range from dark green to grayish green.
Place the plant somewhere where it will be touched. The leaves need to be brushed against and crushed to release the aromatic oils and delicious aromas.
Did you know the leaves are edible too? You can use them to flavor teas and make jellies and baked goods.
Scented geraniums are very easy to care for.
- Place your plant in a bright spot with no drafts.
- Water it regularly when the top inch feels dry.
- Fertilize lightly. Too much fertilizer and it will get leggy.
- Pinch it back to keep the plant bushy.
- Propagate new plants with the cuttings.
You can find scented geranium seeds here at Amazon.
Hoya Carnosa
A vining plant with glossy dark green leaves, these are usually grown in hanging baskets. You can also train them to grow up a trellis.
Hoya have waxy flowers that are pink or white in color and produce a sweet scent. I’ve read Hoya flower scent descriptions that include chocolate, citrus, vanilla, lemon, and orange.
Hoya are easy to care for and propagate.
- Place in an area with very bright, indirect light. More light will encourage it to bloom.
- Water when the soil is dry on top.
- Keep in a humid area like the bathroom or kitchen. Mist couple of times a week.
- Feed regularly with a balanced fertilizer for indoor plants.
- Propagate by stem cutting in water.
You can find hoya carnosa plants here at Amazon.
Use Jasmine As An Aromatic Houseplant
Jasmine is a wonderful plant to bring inside. When it blooms, its blossoms are beautifully white.
It’s hard to describe its fragrance, but you’ll know it once you smell it. And once you know it, you’ll always want it around! Get one of these plants right away!
There are two different jasmine varieties that I like to have in the house. Both have terrific aromas to share.
They are Arabian jasmine and Winter jasmine. Both of them can be planted outdoors or brought inside in a pot.
A third plant is Orange Jessamine. It’s not really jasmine, but we’ll include it here anyway.
Arabian Jasmine (Jasminium sambac)
A shrubby vine, the stems will grow long on a trellis or arching mound. The leaves are dark green.
This plant will bloom all year if placed in a bright location. The blossoms are pure white and produce a sweet fragrance. The blossoms are used to make perfumes, jasmine tea, essential oils, and certain medicines.
Arabian jasmine is an easy-care aromatic houseplant that really smells good. You’ll love having it around.
- Place in a bright location, with humidity and no drafts.
- Water regularly.
- Feed in the spring and summer with azalea food.
You can find Arabian jasmine here at Amazon.
Winter Jasmine (Jasminium nudiflorum)
It’s also known as winter flowered jasmine. Growing as a shrub or vine, winter jasmine releases its sweet scent at night.
The flower buds are pink but the star-shaped flowers come out white, pink, or yellow.
- Place your plant in an area with full sun.
- Use a well-draining potting soil.
- Water regularly.
You can find Jasmine Sambac plants here at Amazon.
Orange Jessamine or Jasmine (Murraya paniculata)
Also known as mock orange or satinwood, this aromatic houseplant has beautiful foliage and white flower clusters.
Not really jasmine, it’s actually related to the citrus family. The beautiful white flowers smell like orange blossoms.
If you plant it outdoors, it will attract bees, birds, and butterflies to the garden. In the fall, it will develop red berries that the birds will eat.
If you have it indoors, it will fill your home with the citrusy scent of orange blossoms.
- Place it in an area that receives full sun or filtered light.
- It likes warm temperatures with humidity.
- Plant in well-drained soil.
- Water regularly to keep the soil moist. Do not saturate the soil.
- Propagates easily by stem cuttings in soil.
You can find Orange Zest Jessamine here at Amazon.
Orchids
Orchids are beautiful aromatic houseplants, giving both blossoms and scents. They can offer different aromas including vanilla, jasmine, and citrus. But, most of the orchids that are sold in the stores do not smell however.
You’ll have to seek out the scented ones at an orchid farm, nursery, or online seller. I found mine on Amazon.
Here are some of our favorites:
Oncidium orchid (Oncidium Sharry Baby has a chocolate scent that reminds some of vanilla. Available at Amazon.
Twinkle Fragrance Fantasy produces a strong and spicy vanilla scent. Here’s the Amazon link.
Pansy Orchid or Miltoniopsis santanaei has beautiful white flowers with a sweet smell of roses. Their smiling faces look like pansies! Here’s the Amazon link for you.
Cymbidium Golden Elf has beautiful yellow flowers that give off a lemony scent.
Coconut Pie (Maxillaria Tenufolia) has a delicious coconut aroma. Available at Amazon.
Orchids are really pretty easy to care for.
- Place your orchid in a bright spot with high humidity that is protected from drafts
- Water and fertilize regularly in the spring and summer. Don’t overwater!
- Keep the soil drier in the fall and winter.
- Repot your orchid when it becomes rootbound.
Plumeria
Also called frangipani and lei flowers, you are probably familiar with plumeria. It’s the flower that is used to make traditional Hawaiian leis. And boy, is it fragrant. It is one of our aromatic plants that you can smell right away.
Plumeria flowers come in reds, pinks, yellows, oranges, whites, and mixed colors.
- Place it in a warm, very bright spot
- Protect it from drafts
- Use coarse, well-draining potting mix like a cactus mix or perlite sand.
- Keep the soil moderately moist but not too wet.
- Fertilize every two to three weeks during growing season.
- Propagate by seeds or cuttings in potting mix.
Plumeria trees are available at Amazon.
Stephanotis (Stephanotis floribunda)
This is also known as the wax flower or Madagascar jasmine. Stephanotis a tropical, vining plant with dark shiny leaves and tubular, waxy white flowers.
You’ve probably seen the Stephanotis as a flower in wedding bouquets.
This plant can be problematic to grow but if successful, you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful plant and aromatic flowers.
- Keep it in a hanging pot or allowed to climb on a trellis.
- Place it in a medium to bright spot with no drafts.
- Use a rich, loamy soil.
- Water and feed regularly in the spring and summer.
- Mist regularly.
- Reduce water and do not feed in fall and winter.
- Move the plant outdoors to the patio for summer growth.
- Propagate through stem cuttings.
Here’s an Amazon link to a beautiful variegated stephanotis.
String of Beads (Senecio roleyanus)
This is one of the more unusual of our aromatic houseplants. Also called rosary string of beads or string of pearls plant, this is a vining succulent.
It has an interesting growth habit. You’ll see it sprawling over the edges of its pot and looking like a string of green beads. The white flowers are tiny and smell like cinnamon.
- Plant it in a hanging pot or let it climb on a trellis.
- Place it in an area that received bright light or sunlight.
- Use a well-draining sandy soil, suitable for succulents.
- Water only once per week. It stores water. Don’t overwater it!
- Trim it to keep it bushier.
- Propagate the trimmed cuttings in soil.
String of Pearls plants are available at Amazon.
Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis)
Aromatic houseplants that you can eat! Also known as Grecian laurel or bay laurel, these are the bay leaves that you use for cooking!
Long-lived and low maintenance, this small tree has shiny green leaves and a savory herbal scent.
- Place in a medium to bright spot with high humidity.
- Keep the potting soil moist in spring and summer; dryer in winter.
Available at Amazon.
Tea Rose Begonia
Another one of those plants that smell good is the tea rose begonia. This begonia blooms all year round. It produces beautiful, fragrant flowers that are a luscious pink color.
Tea rose begonias look great on a sunny windowsill or a hanging pot
- Place in a warm area with filtered light.
- It likes humidity, so you can place the pot on a saucer filled with pebbles and water.
- Use a peaty, well-draining potting soil.
- Keep the soil evenly moist.
- Pinch the tips and outer stems to keep it from becoming leggy.
- Propagate by leaf, stem, or rhizome cutting.
Citrus Trees
Citrus trees are one of my favorite aromatic houseplants. They produce the most wonderful aromas! And bonus, you can harvest fruit from them too.
They’re very easy to grow, and rewarding in terms of aroma and fruit to harvest.
But can you grow citrus trees indoors? You can grow container citrus trees, or dwarf citrus, of course.
These dwarf citrus trees are bred to be small, growing only 3 to 4 feet tall. And they’re perfect for any home or apartment.
Varieties that are available include lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, tangerine and tangelo.
I’ve read that the Dwarf Meyer Lemon (Citrus x meyeri) is the easiest citrus tree to grow indoors. Acidic fruit requires less sunshine than the sweeter varieties.
- Place in a bright, sunny location with no drafts.
- Mist regularly to provide some humidity.
- Water regularly.
- Fertilize in the spring and summer.
- Place outside during the warm summer months.
- Keep inside in a sunny area during cold winter months.
You can get the Dwarf Meyer Lemon tree at Amazon.
Plants That Smell Good
So there you have it!
We’ve gathered several aromatic houseplants that offer wonderful scents for you. Place them throughout your home. Breathe deeply and enjoy the aromas.
Now that spring is almost here, roses aren’t in bloom yet.
So, as a treatment for spring fever, don’t forget to stop and smell the citrus blossoms!
If you want more reading about indoor plants that can help clean the air, go here.