Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, 10–15 in tall; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Tennessee · Zones 6–8
Fragrant Native Plants in Tennessee
Native plants with scented flowers or foliage — the ones that make a garden smell as good as it looks. For Tennessee, the right natives are shaped by Cumberland Plateau, Ridge & Valley, cedar glades and a humid, four-season climate. Every species below, from Woodland Phlox and Swamp Milkweed to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Tennessee and the wider flora of the Southeast and hardy through zones 6–8. Fragrance is easy to overlook on paper and unforgettable in person, so plant the scented natives where you will brush past them — along a path, by a door, beside a bench. Some carry it in the flowers and some in the crushed leaves, and many of the aromatic-leaved species double as deer-resistant. Site them in sun, where warmth lifts the scent into the air.
The plants
11 native species for Tennessee
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 6–8 · see this collection in other states.
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Carries a fragrance you'll want within reach, 3–4 ft tall, flowering as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Carries a fragrance you'll want within reach, spreading 2–4 ft, flowering as it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Fragrant in flower or leaf — site it where you'll catch it, lavender flowers, flowering as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Carries a fragrance you'll want within reach, silvery bracts flowers, and it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, cold-hardy to zone 4, flowering as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Carries a fragrance you'll want within reach, happy in sand, rocky, and loam soil, and it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Fragrant in flower or leaf — site it where you'll catch it, good through zone 9; it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Carries a fragrance you'll want within reach, hardy in zones 3–9, and it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Carries a fragrance you'll want within reach, hardy in zones 3–9; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Carries a fragrance you'll want within reach, for sand, rocky, and loam ground.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Tennessee
Seeds & live plants on Amazon
Seed packets, plugs, and starter plants for many of these species ship to your door.
Browse on AmazonSome links here are affiliate links — we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The surest source of locally-adapted stock is a native-plant nursery or a native plant society sale in your area.