As the early buds and fresh leaves of spring begin to show, have you ever thought about how a garden can capture more than the eyes? As our coastal counties begin their spring awakening following a brutal (for these parts) winter of record-shattering snowfall, we look to our gardens to cultivate not just the soil but our spirits, as well.
While many of the sweet shrubs of spring do capture all five senses, let’s focus on fragrant shrubs that thrive easily here and have for generations. Our southern soil tells stories of the past — sweet tea being served on a spacious front porch where guests are enveloped in a fragrant haze of sweet olives, banana magnolia shrubs and that spicy gardenia off in the distance. These delightful shrubs are threads of our coastal culture and have often been part of the landscapes for generations. Along with our memories from the past, these shrubs can whisper promises of a future that turns a garden into a living legacy. Within our warm, humid climate and diverse natural beauty, these fragrant shrubs cultivate a vibrant, sense-pleasing garden.
Writers seem to easily recognize the fragrant connection between these sweet shrubs and a lifetime of memories. Writer Sarah Kate Lynch tells of the sweet shrubs of her coastal town, “Behind every wrought-iron gate or exposed-brick wall [blooms] a sweet-scented treasure trove of camellias, roses, gardenias, magnolias, tea olives, azaleas and jasmine, everywhere, jasmine.” No less than Alfred, Lord Tennyson, noted palms, southern pine, orange blossoms and sweet olives in his writings.
Let’s take a look at some of these fragrant shrubs that grow especially well here in our coastal climate.
Sweet Olive
Sweet olives (Osmanthus fragrans) are large, attractive shrubs that can easily grow into small trees. The sweet olive or tea olive delights the senses. Their irresistible fragrance is emitted by the plant’s clusters of tiny white blooms among the glossy leaves that can appear throughout the year when conditions are just right.
These tiny flowers, although small in size, have a sweet jasmine-like fragrance that is unforgettable. Their fruity scent might remind you of a ripe apricot and demands your attention when within several feet of one.
The sweet olive foliage just adds another layer of beauty: evergreen and glossy leaves that deepen with intense color as the plant matures. With its delightful, petite and intensely fragranced blossoms, rich green foliage and graceful structure, the sweet olive makes an outstanding sensual addition to coastal Alabama gardens.
Banana Magnolia
Another sweet shrub known as the banana magnolia (Magnolia figo) is considered an old-fashioned Southern favorite right alongside a glass of sweet tea and your mama’s sour cream pound cake. It belongs in the same family as our southern magnolias, nutmeg and bay laurel.
Banana shrubs are indeed magnolias that were introduced to our shores from China in 1789. They are drought-tolerant evergreen shrubs, but the star of this show is their beautiful creamy yellow flowers that have the distinctive fragrance of ripe bananas. The unique little buds are a soft, fuzzy brown before opening to impart their sweet banana gift. Their one-inch blooms are creamy yellow and resemble our southern magnolia blossoms. They begin to flower in late spring or summer on into the fall and are great pollinators, attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to the garden. They are low maintenance and an attention-garnering shrub that can reward with their delightful fragrance and beauty for decades.
Gardenia
Our familiar gardenia is a long-time proven favorite in local landscapes. Gardenias actually belong to the coffee family — a native tropical hailing from Africa, Asia, Australia and Pacific Islands. The most commonly cultivated shrub in our coastal neck of the woods is the Cape Jasmine, that classic gardenia beauty with its creamy white, rose-like blooms that diffuse their sweet, clinging smell we know so well.
These are also evergreen shrubs that are celebrated not only for their intense fragrance and waxy white flowers. They boast lush, glossy foliage and can be beautiful specimen plants in hedges or container gardens. They just love our warm humid environment and reward us with stunning visual and olfactory appeal. Their creamy exotic smell can feel like a tropical escape that takes us away.
We are so fortunate in coastal Alabama that we can offer nearly ideal growing conditions for the timeless elegance and simple pleasures of these soul-soothing, sensory-pleasing, fragrant shrubs.
