Maui Association of Landscape Professionals | Plants that make scents

From the Summer 2006 MALP Newsletter
Revised for Presentation at the May 27, 2014 MALP Educational Meeting
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By:T&T Nutt

In the daylight, colors, shapes and forms make a landscapes appearance enticing. Red foliage is easy to distinguish from that of yellow, and blue flowers stand out from green foliage. Shapes, textures, and various dimensions are easily recognizable. As day turns into night, the surrounding colors and shapes become shadows. This is when our eyesight may falter, but our nose and sense of smell prevails. Many flowers hide their fragrance in the heat of the day becoming most pungent from dusk to dawn, when nature reveals the sensation of its fragrance.

Honokahau is a small, secluded valley located on the northwest side of Maui. My family is blessed to own a piece of property in this unique area. Amidst this tropical part of the island, night comes fast and the darkness complete. As I make my way down the staircase the pungent aroma of Night blooming Jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum) fills the air with a thick, sweet and sometimes over powering scent, enticing me to take long deep breaths.

As I wander farther down the path my attention is caught by another undeniable scent of flowering Gardenias, both Veitchii and the larger Amy variety. I stand Motionless, the aroma surrounding me like the darkness. Then a slight breeze carries the scent of one of the few Ixoras that smell, the Siamese White Ixora (Ixora finlaysoniana). As I walked under its branches the white flower clusters touching my face and the aroma filling my senses.

Suddenly the moon peeks over the valley wall to reveal a glimmering white mass of what seems to be flowers guiding me further down the path. The sweet familiar scent a Singapore Plumeria (Plumeria obtuse) towers overhead, its scent dominates the area and the senses.

I am almost to my truck when the fragrance of heaven beckons me to follow. Soon I am in the midst of an Angle Trumpet Tree with its large white to peach colored bell shaped flowers, with a delicate scent to die for. I stand there for sometime, breathing deeply and dazed by the smell. As reality sets in, I remember that home is where the heart is and my scents will always be in Honokahau Valley.

Other scented plants include:

Halls Honeysuckle (Loriceria japonica)

Gardenias- (Radicans-Tiare-Thunbergia)

White and Yellow Ginger (Hedychium coronarium-Hedychium flavum)

Pikake (Jasmine sambac)

Pak Lan (Micthelia alba ‘Champaca’)

Pua kenikeni (Fagraea berteriana)

Pakalana (Telosma cordata)

Flowers listed above range from white to cream color. Fragrant Orchids can be a combination of colors and scent. For example, the HonoHono Orchid (Dendrobuim anosmum) with colors from white to purple. The scented Oncidium ‘Sharry baby’ has a small striking dark brown flower with yellow and white spotting. Scented Cattleya Orchids usually come in an appealing array of colors.

For optimum results in gardening, research your plants compatibility with the desired planting area. Consider the amount of sunlight and wind conditions. Certain plants are more tolerable to wind, sun and drought. Make sure you learn what your plant requires nutritionally to keep it happy. Most importantly, notice how your plant looks. Plants will show you their health in appearance of growth, vibrancy, or distress such as burning, yellowing or wilt. If you are unsure, keep your plants in pots before permanently planting. This will make it easy to move them around the yard until you find the right place for the right plant.

Before falling asleep tonight go out and smell the garden. Please, try to surround yourself with colorful plants, while remembering to immerse your landscape with a lot of good scents.