Plants do a lot for us but ask for very little in return. Just being around them brings many benefits: when we are near them, the air is cleaner and more humid, we are happier and less stressed, we work harder and more efficiently, and we recover faster from pain Also less.
In fact, it is recommended to keep these live green plants nearby. Not only do they add beauty and lushness to your interior, but by choosing scented varieties, they can also replace artificial air fresheners.
Here, we’ve rounded up the most fragrant and best-suited plants for indoor living.
Many of the most common indoor plants we choose for our homes are foliage plants—they are grown for the beauty of their leaves. Even when they do bloom, the flowers tend to be insignificant.
There are many common aromatic flowering plants found in gardens that are also suitable for growing indoors. It’s best to plant them when they’re in their prime – they can sometimes become quite boring the rest of the year, but in the long run they perform better outdoors.
Some scented plants have an intoxicating smell that may be difficult for some people to tolerate. Mild, comfortable, not overpowering scents are best. Here are some of our favorites
Lavender
English or French lavender grows well in pots and prefers to be grown outdoors, but can be kept indoors for several weeks during flowering. There are many beautiful named varieties available, some with beautiful frilly flower spikes.
Gardenia
Perhaps a bit too strong for some, the gardenia scent will permeate the entire house. The lush green foliage contrasts perfectly with the creamy white flowers, which last for weeks on the bush.1. Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon balm is a perennial herb of the mint family. Although lemon balm’s serrated, oval-shaped leaves may look plain, it emits a fragrant lemon scent when lightly brushed or rubbed with your fingertips.
In addition to its aromatic properties, lemon balm is a great specimen to keep on hand. The leaves are often cut to flavor soups, salads, sauces, and ice cream. You can also steep the leaves to make lemon balm tea, a therapeutic drink that can boost your mood, improve sleep, relieve pain, and more.
wax flower or hoya
Hoya’s waxy pink to red flowers are lightly scented but not pungent. This climbing plant thrives indoors in good light and warm conditions. The only drawback is that the flower heads produce a lot of nectar, which may fall off and leave a slimy mess on the floor or furniture. So make sure your floors are protected.
Potted citrus tree
Lemon, lime, kumquat and orange trees all have fragrant flowers and fruit, and many trees also make excellent houseplants to bring indoors as they bloom and fruit. The waxy white flowers can last for several weeks, but after blooming, the developing fruits and leaves still have a silicate citrus scent.
Laurel or sweet laurel
Better known as a culinary herb that adds a light flavor to soups, casseroles, and Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, bay leaves have a light fragrance that is pleasant indoors. Although the tree itself flowers, it is the leaves that are most valuable. Rotate it between exterior and interior every few weeks to keep it healthy.
Orange jasmine
Orange jasmine (Murifolia) is an outdoor hedge plant in warm climates with white, citrus-scented flowers that closely resemble real citrus flowers. The leaves also emit fragrance when rubbed. This is another plant that grows best outdoors and is only brought indoors during the flowering period.
Twinkle Orchid (Oncidium)
While orchids are not generally known for their fragrance, this oncidium hybrid produces hundreds of dime-sized flowers that emit a spicy vanilla scent.
Despite the reputation of orchid varieties, caring for them is not particularly difficult as long as you provide them with plenty of bright, indirect light. Choose a location with high humidity, daytime temperatures between 21 and 30 °C, and nighttime temperatures between 14 and 17 °C. Since glitter orchids are epiphytes, plant them in an orchid mixture of pine bark and sphagnum moss.