Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Fragrant in flower or leaf — site it where you'll catch it, for loam ground — it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
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Washington, D.C. · Zone 7
Fragrant Native Plants in Washington, D.C.
Native plants with scented flowers or foliage — the ones that make a garden smell as good as it looks. Every species here is genuinely native to Washington, D.C. and the wider flora of the Mid-Atlantic and hardy through zone 7 — proven performers for Washington, D.C.'s humid, four-season climate across Northern Piedmont & Potomac fall line, not a generic list. Local standouts include Woodland Phlox and Spotted Joe-Pye Weed. 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
10 native species for Washington, D.C.
Each one native to your region and hardy in zone 7 · see this collection in other states.
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, mauve-pink flowers — it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Carries a fragrance you'll want within reach, happy in clay, rocky, and loam soil; it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, hardy in zones 4–9, flowering as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Worth a spot by a path or door for the scent, good through zone 8 — it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, spreading 2–3 ft, flowering as it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Worth a spot by a path or door for the scent, reaching 6–12 ft, and it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, reaching 6–12 ft; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, dusty mauve-pink flowers; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, 2–3 ft tall.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Washington, D.C.
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.