Gardeners who live in the Northwest region will find the weather affects what they do from day to day. When the weather is gloomy, gray, wet, and cold, we run inside. When the sun shines, warming the air, we rush outside to garden, or sit and soak up the sun. This is when our senses take in the smell of fragrance in the garden. Every season has something unique to show us, whether blooming bulbs, shrubs, trees, or the more subtle scents from bark and leaves. Even well past their ultimate bloom time, there are plants whose foliage, not flowers, produce a lovely fragrance. Here are four great fragrant foliage plants for the Northwest.

Escallonia

Escallonia illinita, Zones 8–11

Escallonia is an evergreen shrub that is salt tolerant and works in many challenging situations. The small, shiny green leaves have a sticky feeling. A strong maple and curry scent emanates from the foliage. This fragrance is noticeable from across the garden. The flowers themselves have some summer fragrance, but fall is when the fragrance from the aromatic leaves becomes more noticeable. However, the foliage is fragrant year-round. With average garden moisture, escallonia can establish to 10 feet tall.

Katsura

Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Zones 4–8

Katsura foliage has a softer, sweeter scent than escallonia. Light green in spring and pale yellow in fall, heart-shaped leaves give off the scent of cotton candy and caramel. The fragrance from the leaves permeates the surrounding area. Katsura has flowers that are insignificant in the spring with no noticeable scent, but its leaves have great fall color. Butter yellow leaves blushed with pink and orange create a silhouette in the setting sun that is impossible to ignore. The lovely leaves flutter in the breeze and drop to the ground, and the scent rises. Katsura is fragrant throughout the growing season to leaf drop. It can grow 30 feet tall and 25 feet wide. It grows happily in full sun to partial shade with good moisture.

Incense bamboo

Phyllostachys atrovirginata, Zones 5b–10

This bamboo is known as incense bamboo because of its waxy-like foliage covering that smells like sandalwood. The sun warms the sides of the bamboo, and the wonderful, exotic scent reminds me of my younger days in the seventies. Incense bamboo is fragrant year-round. It needs lots of room to run, so be cautious about where you plant it in your home garden. It can grow 35 to 40 feet high, and average, moist soil is best.

Heart-leaved Disanthus

Disanthus cercidifolius, Zones 5-8

Heart-leaved disanthus, or redbud hazel, gives off a strong smell of sweet, buttery caramel. This smaller-scale shrub is seldom seen in cultivation now. Although it looks similar to a katsura tree (hence the species name cercidifolius) with its heart-shaped leaves, it is actually a member of the witch hazel family. This is a perfect shrub for a small garden, growing 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide. The autumn leaf color is yellow to start but becomes deep red and purple as the season progresses. Plant it in full sun to partial shade with some protection from strong winds. It is often planted at the edge of the wood, where the fall color looks remarkable in contrast to the woodland setting. Heart-leaved disanthus is fragrant until leaf drop.

—Susan Calhoun is the owner of Plantswoman Design in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Fine Gardening Recommended Products

Pruning Simplified: A Step-by-Step Guide to 50 Popular Trees and Shrubs

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

Pruning Simplified shows you exactly how to do it. This must-have guide offers expert advice on the best tools for the job, specific details on when to prune, and clear instructions on how to prune. Profiles of the 50 most popular trees and shrubs—including azaleas, camellias, clematis, hydrangeas, and more—include illustrated, easy-to-follow instructions that will ensure you make the right cut the first time.

Buy at Amazon

DeWalt Variable-Speed Cordless Reciprocating Saw with 6-Piece Saw Blade Set

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

You can fit a variety of blades to this saw to cut fallen branches or prune larger limbs from trees in a pinch. It’s fast, tough, easy to use, and extremely versatile.
- 18.31 x 6.13 x 4 inches
- 1-1/8-inch stroke length
- Variable speed trigger with 0-3000 spm
- DW4856 Metal/Woodcutting Reciprocating Saw Blade Set, 6-Piece

Buy at Amazon

DeWalt Variable-Speed Cordless Reciprocating Saw

Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.

You can fit a variety of blades to this saw to cut fallen branches or prune larger limbs from trees in a pinch. It’s fast, tough, easy to use, and extremely versatile.
- 18.31 x 6.13 x 4 inches
- 1-1/8-inch stroke length
- Variable speed trigger with 0-3000 spm

Buy at Amazon