Looking for easy growing fragrant house plant...

20 years ago

I'm in the northeast, where it's still pretty cold. While I can do the planting in spring, I really enjoy houseplants.

I'm fairly new to the formality of being any type of gardner and only recently discovered that I enjoy it very much.

I had a jasmine plant (and I don't know the official name, except it had small white little flowers) that did wonderful until I moved it outside last summer. I was able to salvage a small sprout in which I'm regrowing and hope to get the great plant it's parent was.

I'm really looking for a fragrant plant, which can be grown easily indoors and kept indoors, which is non-toxic to a cat.

I'm new to this but am ready to learn and look forward to trying many things.

I'm even in the process of trying the pineapple plant. Probably will rot, but good experiment. =)

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Comments (4)

vilcat
20 years ago
I grow lots of scented plants. Some for the flowers like citrus, Brunfelsia (called Yesterday today & tomorrow), Hoyas, Plumarias, etc., and other for the leaves like mint, rosemary, scented geranium, pineapple sage, etc..
I do now have a greenhouse, but before I did I would garden in sunny windows and under shop lights.
Make sure you don't overwater your pineapple, that will definately kill it. They are fairly easy to root and grow, but be aware that they get huge and are quite prickly.

kathy
jview
20 years ago
My favorite fragrant house plant is a small shrub, Murraya paniculata, which has a great orange blossum fragrance and it is apt to bloom several times a year. If you have a window that gets sunlight, it is what I recomend. It would do best if you did put it out for the summer (in a semi-shaded spot) but that is true of most house plants.

Do you have any idea why the jasmine did not thrive? Perhaps too much sun or too little time for it to make the adjustment to outdoor conditions? Understanding what went wrong would help alot with your next plant.

Wishing you great success --- Jerry
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Ispahan Zone6a Chicago
20 years ago
Aglaia odorata. I'm not sure about whether or not it is toxic to cats, but it sure is fragrant and easy to grow. Best of all, it can adapt to varied lighting, all the way from full sun to bright shade.

Next would be Neomarica gracilis. It is iron-clad and so easy and robust you can hardly believe it. And the wonderful peony-like fragrance sure is a treat in the middle of winter...

I have never placed either of these plants outdoors and they grow and bloom just fine.
jimshy
20 years ago
I'd add the ol' reliable jasminum sambac "Maid of Orleans" because it's easy to grow with enough sun and regular watering and smells terrific, and is easily available at florists. Also recommended is osmanthus fragrans, sweet olive, which blooms all winter and is pretty tough once you get to know it.

If your jasmine's flowers were really small (1/4") in clusters, I'm guessing your jasmine is j. polyanthum, which needs a cold period in winter to bloom well, and lots of water and sun in summer.

welcome to the forum!

Jim