The Best Fragrant Flower Varieties
April 2025
Below is a list of honey-producing plant varieties. For more detailed descriptions, please refer to the dedicated pages for each variety on the MGF Vivai website.
Abelia × grandiflora
Semi-evergreen ornamental shrub with an elegant, arching habit. Small glossy leaves often turn bronze in autumn. Produces long, fragrant spikes of small tubular white-pink flowers from June to October. Hardy, tolerates pruning well, and adapts to many situations. Ideal for borders, mixed hedges, or as a specimen plant.
Aesculus spp. (Horse Chestnut)
Includes large, decorative trees known for palmate leaves and conspicuous spring flowers in upright panicles. Most common species: Aesculus hippocastanum, with white flowers and spiny fruits (“conkers”), not edible. Often used in parks, avenues, and large gardens for shade and majesty.
Albizia julibrissin ‘Summer Chocolate’
Ornamental tree with elegant bronze-purple foliage (almost chocolate-colored) and feathery pink summer flowers. Light, delicate, and highly decorative.
Amelanchier lamarckii
Deciduous shrub or small tree with white spring flowers, edible berries, and warm-colored autumn foliage. Excellent for naturalistic gardens.
Arbutus unedo (Strawberry Tree)
Evergreen Mediterranean plant with bell-shaped white flowers and red strawberry-like fruits. Decorative in autumn and winter. Loved by bees and birds.
Berberis x ottawensis ‘Superba’
Deciduous shrub with deep reddish-purple foliage and yellow spring flowers. Widely used for decorative hedges and borders.
Bougainvillea glabra ‘Sanderiana’
Evergreen climber with vibrant fuchsia “flowers” (actually bracts). Perfect for warm climates and sunny walls; requires frost protection.
Campsis (Trumpet Vine)
Vigorous climber with orange or red trumpet-shaped flowers in summer. Loves sun and warmth. Ideal for pergolas and walls.
Carissa grandiflora ‘Tuttlei’
Compact evergreen shrub with glossy leaves and fragrant white flowers. Produces decorative red fruits. Hardy and suitable for pots.
Catalpa bignonioides
Fast-growing tree with large heart-shaped leaves and white flowers spotted with purple. Very ornamental; ideal as a specimen plant.
Eriobotrya japonica (Japanese Loquat)
Evergreen with large glossy leaves, fragrant autumn flowers, and yellow-orange fruits in spring. Mediterranean and very decorative.
Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’
Elegant tree with young golden-yellow leaves. Light and minimally shading; ideal for modern gardens.
Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary)
Evergreen aromatic Mediterranean shrub with needle-like fragrant leaves and blue-lilac flowers. Excellent for low hedges, borders, and dry gardens.
Salvia x jamensis
Ornamental perennial/semi-shrub hybrid, fragrant and repeat-flowering from late spring to autumn.Key varieties:
- ‘Violette de Loire’ – Deep violet flowers, aromatic foliage. Elegant and persistent.
- ‘Pluenn’ – Soft pink with warm tones. Long flowering period.
- ‘Melen’ – Light pink tending to mauve, delicate.
- ‘Flammen’ – Fiery red, very showy.
- ‘Blue Armor’ – Blue-violet, compact and hardy.
Sambucus nigra (Elderberry)
Shrub or small tree with pinnate leaves, fragrant white spring flowers, and edible black berries (to be cooked frist). Excellent for country hedges and naturalistic gardens.
Sophora japonica (Styphnolobium japonicum)
Elegant deciduous Asian tree with a broad crown and white summer flowers. Very tolerant to heat and pollution.
- ‘Regent’ – Compact and orderly cultivar, widely used in urban areas.
- ‘Pendula’ – Weeping form, highly ornamental.
Tamarix spp.
Shrubs or small trees with fine, scale-like leaves. Pink feathery flowers in spring or summer.
- Tamarix tetrandra – Blooms April–May; excellent for sandy, windy sites.
- Tamarix gallica – Spring flowering; suitable for coastal areas.
- Tamarix ramosissima – Summer flowering, very decorative.
Tilia spp. (Linden / Lime Tree)
Majestic trees with heart-shaped leaves and fragrant flowers beloved by bees. Perfect for avenues or shade.
- Tilia cordata – Small-leaved, heavily flowering.
- ‘Greenspire’ – Columnar, orderly cultivar of T. cordata.
- Tilia hybrida ‘Argentea’ – Green-gray foliage underneath, very ornamental.
- Tilia platyphyllos – Large leaves, early flowering.
- Tilia tomentosa – Drought and pollution resistant, silver-backed leaves.
- ‘Brabant’ – Fast-growing, straight cultivar of T. tomentosa.
Vitex agnus-castus
Deciduous shrub or small tree with aromatic hemp-like leaves and lilac-purple flower spikes in summer. Attracts bees and butterflies.
- ‘Alba’ – White flowers, delicate but highly decorative.
Weigela spp.
Deciduous, very floriferous shrubs, ideal for mixed borders.
- ‘Black and White’ – White flowers on dark almost-purple foliage.
- ‘Bristol Ruby’ – Bright ruby-red flowers, very showy.
- ‘Nana Variegata’ – White-cream and pink variegated foliage, compact habit.
