Where did you get them?

My mother has Athens, and it is wonderful. The blooms are really fragrant. I've had calycanthus floridus, and the blooms are not all that great. They are small,smell of rotting strawberries, and do not bloom over a long period. It's one short flush and that's it. All of the calycanthus like lots of water. I've lost quite a few because of lack of water, even though I watered them from time to time.

I had a Sinocalycanthus but the slugs ate it. Boo hoo.

A few months ago, I ordered Hartlage Wine and Venus from an online company that starts with the letter H that has had a lot of negative feedback. The plants I received were very scrawny. I feel that the weak plants they sent added with the stress of transit is what led them to their demise when I received them. They ultimately died. I wouldn't reccomend ordering from them.

I just placed an order from Almost Eden for Venus. Will post a picture of what I get. Although I am not so worried since they have rave reviews.

Here's my 'Hartlage Wine', which has bloomed very well after only being planted in the fall. It has a faint peppery scent.

Gorgeous flower! Thanks for sharing the image mbuckmaster. And I really appreciate the description of the fragrance. Its useful to know which one smells good or not. I read Venus is one of the better choices for fragrance.

Calycanthus floridus is very variable fragrance-wise, any seedling can have a good or bad smell. Those hybrids like Venus get their fragrance from Calycanthus floridus as I recall the Asian species is mostly scentless. If you want all fragrance, go with a named selection of Calycanthus floridus and NOT a seedling or hybrid.

I would add that 'Athens' is one of those named selections, the other named selections mentioned here I beleive are hybrids.

Yes, I would add that you really need to select your true Calycanthus floridus while in flower so you can smell what it is you're buying. SOmetimes in the woods you'll smell stink and lo and behold, it's a sweetshrub. :(

'Hartlage Wine' is indeed a hybrid, a combo of Sinocalycanthus chinensis with Calycanthus floridus, with an amazing botanical name of Sinocalycalycanthus x raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine'

"Michael Lindsey" is reliably fragrant with a deep red flower and is also a pretty shrub with dark green leaves. Mine is 5' tall now. "Athens" is also very fragrant but not as pretty in flower (greenish) or leaf, IMO, as Michael Lindsey. I find that fragrance is more noticeable from newly opening flowers in the evening.

The flowers are so beautiful. Me too I have never seen this plant. That is why I really admire how it looks like.

David, what does 'Michael Lindsey' smell like? Is it the strawberryish scent of the species?

My experience with 'Athens' is the same as yours--new flowers are much more fragrant, especially at dusk.