The spicy scent of herbs, the delicate fragrance of roses, the exotic aroma of frangipani and the heady perfume of jasmines are just some of the fragrances plants hold in store for us.
Ironically, plant scent is not there for the benefit of the gardener (although we are quite emotional about it – we are all aware that a plant’s scent will sometimes trigger a memory of someone or something), but rather a vital form of communication between plants in a chemical language made up of volatiles that evaporate and float through the air to attract pollinators. It is a clever mechanism to ensure survival and the production of fruit or seeds.
No species of plant produces the same scent. Those with flowers will have a more pronounced fragrance in the daytime when it is hot and sunny to invite pollinators like bees and butterflies. Those with a strong and seductive fragrance wafting out at dusk or at nighttime will attract the pollinators that work in the darkness like moths and bats.
Sweet, floral and fruity
It is not surprising that the words ‘floral fragrance’ conjures up the rose in our minds. Anyone with a romantic heart, when presented with a bunch of roses, will instinctively stick a nose deep into the heart of a bloom to have a
