Growing houseplants is a great way to add some life to your home. The beautiful colors are one thing, but today I want to look specifically at their scent. A large variety of plants smell fantastic, and can even cover up some less than ideal scents. Today, we’ll be looking at 5 indoor plants with fragrance, and specifically ones you can grow in your kitchen often one of the more “smelly” rooms in a home.
Lavender
One of the most popular houseplants to grow, lavender makes an excellent, both scent wise and visually, addition to any home. Lavender is very easy to care for, and mainly requires a nice bright spot to live.
For smaller spaces, try varieties like French Lavender that are raised to grow in smaller spaces. There are many different kinds of lavender available to grow, so it’s easy to find one that fits your space.
As an added bonus, many enjoy adding lavender to drinks for a unique flavor. Lot’s of drink recipes call for lavender, so your plant can serve multiple purposes if desired.
Mint
Mint is another extremely pungent and versatile plant that can simply look/smell great or be used for cooking and drinks. Mint is incredibly easy to grow and very hard to kill making it a great “set and forget” plant. Give it some bright sunlight and the occasional watering and it will be happy.
Mint is also perfect for a kitchen windowsill as it can grow in relatively small spaces without any extra effort. Mint will quickly take over it’s container though, so if you’re planning to grow multiple plants make sure to separate your mint. Otherwise, it can suck up nutrients meant for other plants.
Lastly, while mint already does have a very strong scent, you can make it more so by simply rubbing the leaves. This will help release the scent and add a quick burst of that wonderful aroma into your room. You’ll quickly see why mint is often cited as one of the most fragrant herbs around.
Orchids
Next up on our list is orchids. Orchid is a family that encompasses a lot of different plants, and many of them are excellent to help bring some pleasant scents to a room. While many believe that orchids are hard to grow, that’s not always the case, and many are much easier than you might initially believe.
To get you started, try the cymbidium golden elf orchid. This is a striking, yellow plant that smells as good as it looks. It can grow in smaller spaces and likes warmth, both of which make it a great plant for kitchen growing. There are a lot of other great orchids though, so explore a bit before deciding which one works for you.
Chives
Another fantastic herb choice is chives. Like mint, chives are very easy to grow, and will take over the container they’re in. They’re also perfectly happy in small containers, making them the perfect addition to a kitchen windowsill or similar area.
For extra scent you can allow the chives to bloom. These flowers have a great scent, and will smell stronger than the just the chives themselves. These flowers are also edible if you so desire, so doing this doesn’t ruin the culinary uses of the plant like other types of herbs.
Thyme
Thyme is another great herb and the last plant on our list. Like many other herbs, thyme is easy to take care of, and requires very little effort to grow. It’s also great in a variety of dishes, so pulls double duty for uses.
While it has a very strong scent on its own, you can gently rub the leaves like mint to release extra scent. As an added benefit, thyme scent has been shown to work as a natural mosquito repellent.
Indoor Plants With Fragrance
As always, this is just a small sample and our personal choice for pungent houseplants. There are lots more easy indoor fragrant plants out there that have great scents and will grow well in your kitchen. The best way to find out what you like is to visit a local nursery and pursue their selection. Something there is bound to catch your eye (or in this case nose) and from there you can determine if it fits your needs.
Let us know what types of plants you like to grow indoors!
