Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Understanding why plants produce fragrance will help you to select the right ones. Scent is a signal used by plants to advertise to pollinators (primarily insects) that they have pollen or nectar available. The smell of the flower alerts pollinators that the plant is ready to be pollinated, and when the animals arrive to collect pollen and/or nectar, pollen gets transferred, facilitating plant reproduction. The scent (an energetically expensive compound for the plant to make) functions as both a long-and short-distance attractant. The type of pollinator (bee, beetle, fly, butterfly or moth) that it wants to attract will determine the time of day and year the plant is most fragrant and the type of fragrance that it will produce.  Scientific American has a very nice article about fragrance in plants.

We are going to direct you to several sources for determining what plants to choose.

The Washington Native Plant Society (WNPS) is an excellent place to start. They have developed plant lists by county.

The Columbia Basin Chapter of the WNPS has developed a brochure describing growing native plants in Washington. This brochure includes plant descriptions - including those that are fragrant: "The Natural Way to Grow: Gardening with Native Plants of Eastern Washington."  The Columbia Basin Chapter of the Native Plant Society serves both the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla areas and should be a good source of information for you. In addition to their web site you can contact them (Marita Lih mplih@charter.net) and ask for their recommendations for plants that are fragrant and will grow well there.

The Fragrance Garden is adjacent to the Tennant Lake Interpretive Center in Ferndale, WA. This is an award winning Fragrance Garden with over 200 plants. It is located in the Whatcom Wildlife Area - Tennant Lake Park in western Washington, but they may have information about fragrant plants in your part of the state. Contact them at:    (360) 384-4723

The Seattle Garden Club has a fragrance garden that is a part of the University of Washington Botanical Gardens. They, too, may have information about fragrant species in your part of Washington.

 Main Phone: 206-543-8616
Email: uwbg@u.washington.edu
Facebook: www.facebook.com/UWBotanicGardens

The Xerces Society is also a good source of information about managing your yard for butterflies and flies (insects that are attracted to fragrant plants). They produce several publications that you can download that may be useful in your planning.

BFI Native Seeds in Moses Lake, WA

Derby Canyon Natives, Peshastin, WA   The folks at Derby Canyon Natives have compiled plant lists for attractingh butterflies and hummingbirds. These consist of plants that should do well where you live.