Isn't this thing supposed to smell good? Fragrant plants don’t always deliver

In a recent column, I mentioned that sweet almond shrubs I’ve cultivated in Central Florida were scentless, even though the species is widely deemed intensely fragrant.

It’s possible that ancestry plays a role, and that plants grown in California perfume the air. Who knows? But I’ve been disappointed by other reportedly fragrant plants that failed to deliver.

Take Amazon lilies, for example. Seven species of Eucharis are collectively called Amazon lilies, and some seemingly are fragrant. But the kinds I’ve grown never produced aromatic flowers. Nevertheless, Amazon lilies are well worth cultivating in filtered light.

Most of these evergreen perennials bear white, nodding, almost ethereal flowers during the warm season, though some bloom in winter.

A particularly disappointing plant is moonflower, a cold-sensitive perennial that ranges from Florida and Mexico to Argentina. This fast-growing species (Ipomea alba) is easily grown from seed. It’s named for its 3- to 6-inch-wide, shimmering white blossoms that unfurl at twilight and are said to be extremely aromatic.

But my moonflowers – with stems up to 20 feet long – bore blossoms that gave off a mild fragrance perceptible only from a short distance away. Moonflower seeds, which are widely available, are best sown in spring after being soaked for two days. But plants will still flower if you sow seeds soon. Note: all Ipomea seeds are toxic.

Another night-fragrant plant with a definitely sketchy aroma is yesterday-today-tomorrow (Brunfelsia grandiflora). My favorite cool-season flowering shrub, this Tropical American plant can grow 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide in dappled light on organically enriched and mulched sites.

Its distinctive flowers open purple, fade to lavender and then turn white over two or three days. That’s great, but I believe few folks wandering past a large shrub at two in the morning would notice any scent. Perhaps a cluster of plants at a wholesale nursery would prove aromatic.

Yet another shrub with a pleasing fragrance perceptible only at close quarters is yellow bells, aka Esperanza and yellow elder. This Tropical American shrub – sometimes seen as a tree – produces vast numbers of bell-shaped blossoms during the warm season and a scattering of flowers the rest of the year.

Are there plants that repel mosquitoes?Maybe. Here's what to know

The species (Tecoma stans) thrives on sunny, well-drained sites and is easily propagated by cuttings. The plant’s beauty has earned it the title of official  flower of the US Virgin Islands. It’s also  the floral emblem of the Bahamas.

Plant to ponder: Variegated confederate jessamine

Confederate jessamine, native to China and Vietnam, is unrelated to true jasmines — hence the "jessamine" name. This vine climbs 10 to 20 feet high and flowers heavily in spring, bearing multitudes of extremely fragrant white flowers. The variegated form provides color year-round, though hard freezes may defoliate plants. Propagate with warm-season stem cuttings.