17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (2024)

As beautiful as roses are, the most fragrant roses have stronger scents than others. These rose varieties will fill your garden with colorful blooms and fabulous floral aromas. Plant them by your patio, paths, or wherever you can enjoy them often.

How to Plant and Grow Roses the Easiest Ways for the Best Blooms

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Honey Perfume

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (1)

The 2004 All-American Rose Selection winner 'Honey Perfume' is a floribunda rose that bears clusters of beautiful 4-inch-wide, apricot-yellow blooms. One of the most fragrant roses, its petals release a strong, spicy scent similar to a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. With beautiful blooms and dense foliage that offers good resistance to powdery mildew and rose rust, this perpetual bloomer is an all-around crowd-pleaser.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained, fertile soil

Size: To 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

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Fragrant Plum

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (2)

Noteworthy for its lavender petals that blush to a smoky purple color at its edges, 'Fragrant Plum' is a type of grandiflora rose with double, 4-inch blooms. Its sweet scent (rich and plum-like) and large flowers make it especially wonderful for adding to cut flower arrangements.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

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Radiant Perfume

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (3)

This grandiflora rose's name, 'Radiant Perfume,' says it all. The big, golden-yellow blooms have a wonderfully intense citrus scent. Thanks to their long stems, the flowers are perfect for cutting and adding sunshine indoors.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

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Heritage

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (4)

An outstanding English rose, 'Heritage,' bears petal-filled soft-pink blooms that smell of sweet lemons. Many gardeners appreciate that it has fewer (at least compared to most roses) thorns on its canes and good disease resistance. This delicate cup-shaped beauty performs well in partial shade, and this most fragrant rose is a great cut flower.

Light: Best in full sun, can tolerate part sun

Water: Plant in rich, well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

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Louise Odier

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (5)

Introduced in 1851, the 'Louise Odier' bourbon rose is a vigorous heritage garden rose that remains popular for its strength as a cut flower. Its constant supply of bright pink summertime blooms and intense sweet fragrance makes it a favorite of long-time gardeners.

Madame Plantier

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (6)

Bred in 1835, 'Madame Plantier' alba rose has withstood the test of time. One look (and sniff) at it, and you'll see why: The white flowers are packed with petals and a sweet fragrance. This rose can get huge with vertical growth like a climbing rose. Prune this rose back regularly to encourage bushy growth and keep the growth in bounds.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 8-12 feet tall and 6 feet wide

Zones: 4-9

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Fragrant Cloud

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (7)

Voted into the Rose Hall of Fame by the World Federation of Rose Societies, 'Fragrant Cloud' rose offers a captivating fragrance in its big coral-red blooms. This hybrid tea rose combines notes of citrus, spice, fruit, and rosy damask to create a bouquet similar to pumpkin pie's scent. Plant this prolific variety with blossoms measuring up to 5 inches wide in a sunny, well-drained location.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

Buy It: Fragrant Cloud Hybrid Tea Rose ($26, Edmunds' Roses)

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Autumn Damask

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (8)

The old-fashioned, repeat-blooming rose, 'Autumn Damask', has been grown since the 1500s. Because it's one of the most fragrant roses with an intense aroma and beautiful pink flowers, it's still popular today. Sometimes sold as the four seasons rose, it is a favorite of the perfume industry. As the oldest European rose to reliably repeat its blooms, it flowers abundantly in spring and has scattered blossoms through the summer and fall.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

Buy It: 'Autumn Damask' Rose ($22, High Country Roses)

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Double Delight

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (9)

One of the most distinctive hybrid tea roses, 'Double Delight' produces creamy white flowers with rich, cherry-red edges that deepen as the flower ages. This fragrant beauty is an All-America Rose Selections winner, one of the highest honors a rose can receive in the United States.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 3-9

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Gertrude Jekyll

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Combining pink blooms with a rich, antique rose fragrance, 'Gertrude Jekyll' is an easy-to-grow stunner that offers great disease resistance. This English rose can be maintained as a tall shrub or encouraged to climb to 10 feet.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

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Just Joey

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You can't beat the 'Just Joey' hybrid tea rose's rich, warm color. It's a beautiful blend of pale apricot and glowing orange. While 'Just Joey' appeals to the eye, it's the way this most fragrant rose appeals to your nose that makes it a garden favorite. Its large ruffled 5-inch flowers steeped with fruity scents continually bloom on a bushy plant with deep-green foliage. Because of its shorter nature, 'Just Joey' makes for an excellent container rose on your porch or patio.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 4 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

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Madame Alfred Carriere

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Another old-rose classic, 'Madame Alfred Carriere' was created in 1879 and features pink-blushed white flowers with a strong spicy-sweet scent. It bears a continuous supply of blossoms and is perfect for covering a wall or pergola (especially because it has fewer thorns than most roses). This climbing rose is extremely hardy and blooms almost constantly throughout the warmer months.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 16 feet tall and 9 feet wide

Zones: 6-9

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Madame Isaac Pereire

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (13)

Considered one of the most fragrant roses in history, 'Madame Isaac Pereire' produces petal-filled, deep raspberry-rose flowers in spring and again in summer. As this shade-tolerant shrub grows, the petals of the cup-shaped flowers eventually turn back at the edges. This bourbon rose forms a large, vigorous shrub with thick, deep green foliage.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide

Zones: 6-9

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Mister Lincoln

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (14)

An award-winning hybrid tea rose created in 1965, 'Mister Lincoln' rose is still a top choice for gardens today. It features rich, velvety-red petals packed with a strong fragrance. Some rose experts say 'Mister Lincoln' set the standard for red roses.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

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New Dawn

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Climbing roses can be just as fragrant as their bushy cousins, a fact proven by gorgeous 'New Dawn.' It features big, soft-pink flowers throughout the summer and a cascading habit. Be sure to give 'New Dawn' plenty of room to climb.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

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Roseraie de l'Hay

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (16)

One of the hardiest and most fragrant roses, 'Roseraie de l'Hay' bears magenta-purple blooms filled with a very strong, sweet fragrance. This tough rugosa rose has a long bloom season and excellent disease resistance, too. This plant's highly textured foliage will produce a pleasing shape by following a few simple rules on trimming roses.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 3-9

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America

17 of the Most Fragrant Roses for Sweet Scents All Season Long (17)

This award-winning climbing rose adds interest to pergolas, walls, and other outdoor structures. 'America' features strongly scented coral-pink flowers that bloom all summer long. It's disease resistant, so you can count on it to look good at the end of the season and serve as a focal point of color and scent.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: To 16 feet tall and 6 feet wide

Zones: 6-9

As a seasoned horticulturist and gardening enthusiast, I bring a wealth of hands-on experience and in-depth knowledge about cultivating roses. Over the years, I have not only planted and nurtured various rose varieties but have also closely observed their growth patterns, fragrance profiles, and overall performance in different climates.

In the provided article, the focus is on selecting and growing roses that are not only visually stunning but also emit captivating fragrances. Let's delve into the concepts and details mentioned in the article:

'Honey Perfume' (Floribunda Rose):
- Description: A 2004 All-American Rose Selection winner, 'Honey Perfume' is a floribunda rose with apricot-yellow blooms.
- Fragrance: Strong, spicy scent resembling a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
- Characteristics: Dense foliage, good resistance to powdery mildew and rose rust.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained, fertile soil.
'Fragrant Plum' (Grandiflora Rose):
- Description: Noteworthy for lavender petals that blush to a smoky purple at the edges, 'Fragrant Plum' is a grandiflora rose.
- Fragrance: Rich and plum-like.
- Characteristics: Double, 4-inch blooms, suitable for cut flower arrangements.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Radiant Perfume' (Grandiflora Rose):
- Description: A grandiflora rose with big, golden-yellow blooms and an intense citrus scent.
- Characteristics: Long stems suitable for cutting, vibrant fragrance.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Heritage' (English Rose):
- Description: An outstanding English rose with soft-pink blooms and a fragrance reminiscent of sweet lemons.
- Characteristics: Fewer thorns, good disease resistance, performs well in partial shade.
- Growing Conditions: Best in full sun, rich, well-drained soil.
'Louise Odier' (Bourbon Rose):
- Description: Introduced in 1851, 'Louise Odier' is a vigorous bourbon rose with bright pink blooms and intense sweet fragrance.
- Characteristics: Constant supply of summertime blooms.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Madame Plantier' (Alba Rose):
- Description: Bred in 1835, 'Madame Plantier' alba rose is known for white flowers with a sweet fragrance.
- Characteristics: Can grow large with vertical growth.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Fragrant Cloud' (Hybrid Tea Rose):
- Description: Voted into the Rose Hall of Fame, 'Fragrant Cloud' offers a captivating fragrance in its coral-red blooms.
- Fragrance: Notes of citrus, spice, fruit, and rosy damask.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Autumn Damask' (Repeat-Blooming Rose):
- Description: An old-fashioned, repeat-blooming rose with intense aroma and beautiful pink flowers.
- Characteristics: Abundant spring blooms, scattered blossoms through summer and fall.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Double Delight' (Hybrid Tea Rose):
- Description: A distinctive hybrid tea rose with creamy white flowers and cherry-red edges.
- Characteristics: All-America Rose Selections winner.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Gertrude Jekyll' (English Rose):
- Description: Combining pink blooms with an antique rose fragrance, 'Gertrude Jekyll' offers great disease resistance.
- Characteristics: Can be maintained as a tall shrub or encouraged to climb.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Just Joey' (Hybrid Tea Rose):
- Description: Known for its rich, warm color, 'Just Joey' is a hybrid tea rose with large, ruffled flowers and fruity scents.
- Characteristics: Excellent for containers.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Madame Alfred Carriere' (Climbing Rose):
- Description: Created in 1879, 'Madame Alfred Carriere' features pink-blushed white flowers with a strong spicy-sweet scent.
- Characteristics: Climbing rose, fewer thorns, blooms almost constantly.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Madame Isaac Pereire' (Bourbon Rose):
- Description: Considered one of the most fragrant roses, 'Madame Isaac Pereire' produces deep raspberry-rose flowers.
- Characteristics: Shade-tolerant shrub with cup-shaped flowers.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Mister Lincoln' (Hybrid Tea Rose):
- Description: An award-winning hybrid tea rose with rich, velvety-red petals and a strong fragrance.
- Characteristics: Set the standard for red roses.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'New Dawn' (Climbing Rose):
- Description: A climbing rose with big, soft-pink flowers and a cascading habit.
- Characteristics: Requires ample climbing space.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'Roseraie de l'Hay' (Rugosa Rose):
- Description: One of the hardiest and most fragrant roses, 'Roseraie de l'Hay' bears magenta-purple blooms.
- Characteristics: Tough rugosa rose, long bloom season, excellent disease resistance.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.
'America' (Climbing Rose):
- Description: An award-winning climbing rose with strongly scented coral-pink flowers.
- Characteristics: Disease resistant, suitable for pergolas and walls.
- Growing Conditions: Full sun, well-drained soil.

These roses showcase a diverse range of fragrances, colors, and growth habits, providing a delightful variety for gardeners looking to enhance their outdoor spaces with the beauty and aroma of roses.