Scarlet Beebalm
Monarda didyma
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, scarlet red flowers, and it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 2.5–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Wisconsin · Zones 3–5
Fragrant Native Plants in Wisconsin
Native plants with scented flowers or foliage — the ones that make a garden smell as good as it looks. For Wisconsin, the right natives are shaped by Northern forest, driftless prairie & oak savanna and a cold continental climate. Every species below, from Scarlet Beebalm and Woodland Phlox to the rest of the list, is genuinely native to Wisconsin and the wider flora of the Midwest and hardy through zones 3–5. 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
11 native species for Wisconsin
Each one native to your region and hardy in zones 3–5 · see this collection in other states.
Woodland Phlox
Phlox divaricata
Worth a spot by a path or door for the scent, good through zone 8; it flowers in Apr and May.
- Part shade
- Average
- 10–15 in
- Blooms Apr–May
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, 1.5–2 ft wide, flowering as it blooms Jun through Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Aug
Anise Hyssop
Agastache foeniculum
Fragrant in flower or leaf — site it where you'll catch it, 1.5–2 ft wide — it blooms Jun through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–4 ft
- Blooms Jun–Sep
Swamp Milkweed
Asclepias incarnata
Carries a fragrance you'll want within reach, good through zone 9 — it flowers in Jul and Aug.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 3–4 ft
- Blooms Jul–Aug
Short-Toothed Mountain Mint
Pycnanthemum muticum
Fragrant in flower or leaf — site it where you'll catch it, reaching 2–3 ft, and it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Spotted Joe-Pye Weed
Eutrochium maculatum
Fragrant in flower or leaf — site it where you'll catch it, 4–7 ft tall — it blooms Jul through Sep.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 4–7 ft
- Blooms Jul–Sep
Spicebush
Lindera benzoin
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, 6–12 ft tall — it flowers in Mar and Apr.
- Part shade
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Mar–Apr
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
Scented enough to plant where you brush past it, good through zone 9, flowering as it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Dry–average
- 3–5 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
American Elderberry
Sambucus canadensis
Fragrant in flower or leaf — site it where you'll catch it, creamy umbels flowers; it flowers in Jun and Jul.
- Full–part sun
- Average–wet
- 6–12 ft
- Blooms Jun–Jul
Prairie Dropseed
Sporobolus heterolepis
Fragrant in flower or leaf — site it where you'll catch it, reaching 2–3 ft.
- Full sun
- Dry–average
- 2–3 ft
- Fall color
Sourcing
Where to find these in Wisconsin
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.