Roy Genders, a famous British specialist in herbs and rare perennials, was particularly taken with fragrance in flowers. In his book, Scented Flora of the World, Mr. Genders suggests that we can classify perfumed blossoms according to the chemical substances in their scented oils. The eight categories: heavy, aromatic, violet, rose, lemon, fruit, animal and honey.

Stargazer lily

        • Flowers in the heavy category contain an offensive agent called indole, but they are sweet and not unpleasant — unless smelled in close quarters. In this category we find tuberoses (Polianthes tuberosa). The double form, called “Pearl,” is more fragrant than the single. Viburnum, lily-of-the-valley and honeysuckle also fall into this grouping. I am particularly fond of the honeysuckle “Goldflame” (Lonicera heckrottii),which blooms all summer. It has showy clusters of flowers with red on the outside, deep yellow inside.

        • Flowers in the aromatic group contain a chemical substance called eugenol — an essential oil found in plants that smell like cinnamon, vanilla, clove or balsam. Summer flowering stocks (Matthiola incana), carnation, and peonies contain a hint of clove, while vanilla can be detected in witch hazel (Hamamelis species) and wisterias. My favorite among the aromatics is the sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus).

        • Flowers in the violet group contain a chemical called ionone. As it ages, it loses its appeal and takes on a smell more like moss or freshly cut cucumbers. Perhaps this is why violets are self-fertilizing — insects avoid this odor.

        • Flowers in the rose-scented group are not limited to roses. Some pelargonium foliage is so laden with a key ingredient called geraniol that the leaves sometimes are distilled for essential oils. Many gardeners lament the loss of the true rose fragrance from modern roses. They prefer the old roses of the 18th and 19th centuries — especially damask varieties — for what they call a true rose perfume.

Margaret Merril rose

        But there are fragrant modern roses. For the past three years I have grown a lovely floribunda called “Margaret Merril” whose perfume is so intense that I am reminded of a combination of lily-of-the-valley and attar of roses. It's a sturdy, upright rose producing white flowers that, when fully open, have pronounced golden stamens. It blooms best in the coolness of early spring and late fall.

        For other modern rose varieties that offer a rich perfume, try “Mister Lincoln” and “Fragrant Cloud.”

        • Flowers in the lemon category could be a subdivision of the rose group. They contain a chemical agent called citral — a lemon scent that results when geraniol is oxidized. Several varieties of the China rose, including “Parson's Pink China,” have a lemon scent, along with some verbenas.

        The elegant Magnolia soulangiana produces a sweet, lemony-scented white flower the size of a dinner plate.

        • Fruit-scented flowers smell like a particular fruit. For example, most people would agree that mock orange (Philadelphus vars.) smells like oranges.

The honey-scented buddleia

        • The compounds in animal-scented flowers are closely associated with the fruit-scented group but they contain an additional alcohol that produces a fatty acid. Hypericum can smell of goats or ripe apples. The crown imperial fritillary is said to smell of foxes. Musk is a common fragrance in the animal-scented group, often associated with musk roses. Some people hate it; others like it so much that they use musk-scented cologne.

        • Chemically, the honey-scented and animal-scented groups are closely related. No flower in the honey-scented group has a more delightful fragrance than the buddleia. Also known as the butterfly bush, it releases its honey-musk small in early summer and becomes a magnet for butterflies. Monarchs and swallowtails love its blooms.

       Contact Tim Morehouse by Web site: www.getmoregarden.com; mail: c/o Cincinnati Enquirer. (If writing, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope.)
       

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