Fragrant white flowers for your balcony or terrace

Fragrant white flowering plants for the sun

The Rugosa Rose ‘Blanc double de Coubert’

This old rose is valued for its magnificent semi-double cup-shaped flowers, pure white, accented by a subtle heart of yellow stamens. A repeat flowering variety, its generous blooming reveals itself almost continuously from June to September. It is also renowned for its powerful fragrance.

This bush rose measures 1.5 metres in all directions, making it easy to grow in a pot. Provide it with a rich, well-drained substrate (that does not retain too much water), not too dry, in a sunny position.

Easy to cultivate, ‘Blanc double de Coubert’ is quite resistant to diseases and hardy down to about -15°C. It can therefore spend the winter on the balcony or terrace in most regions.

The Dianthus plumarius ‘Scent First Memories’

The carnation ‘Scent First Memories’ will shine in a flowering pot, elegantly brightening balconies and terraces. From May to August, this award-winning variety unveils adorable double fringed flowers, immaculate white. They appear above a lovely backdrop of persistent grey-blue leaves. In terms of fragrance, this perennial rewards us with a powerful scent of sweet spices, reminiscent of clove.

Its compact silhouette, measuring 30 cm in all directions, will fit into all types of containers.

Hardy, enjoying the sun, and not demanding regarding soil type as long as it is well-drained, it is a truly easy-going plant.

The Phlox paniculata ‘David’

This phlox is a fragrant plant with natural charm, which blooms abundantly in summer, producing numerous conical panicles of pure white flowers. Its highly fragrant flowering, especially in the evening, exudes floral and spicy notes. It is also melliferous and nectariferous, appreciated by pollinating insects.

This perennial forms a bushy clump with a spreading habit, reaching about 1.1 metres in height and 40 cm in width. Little sensitive to diseases and easy to grow, the variety ‘David’ will thrive effortlessly in a pot in the sun. Provide it with rich, fresh soil, regularly watered in case of drought to encourage flowering.

The Syringa meyeri ‘Flowerfesta White’

Lilacs need several hours of sun each day to bloom well. In spring and late summer, this dwarf variety (1.25 metres in all directions) will reveal generous clusters of delicate white flowers. They exude a delightful fragrance, which you can enjoy on the terrace and balcony, or by creating beautiful bouquets. Its slow growth, along with its compact and rounded silhouette, is indeed perfectly suited for container cultivation.

Grow ‘Flowerfesta White’ in a sunny position, in soil rich in organic matter but well-drained. Hardy and easy to grow, it is a reliable choice to brighten up spring.

The Lavender ‘Arctic Snow’

A symbol of the Mediterranean, lavender is usually known for its blue-purple spikes. However, there are also white flowering varieties that smell just as good. This is the case with ‘Arctic Snow’, a bushy and sturdy variety, measuring 50 cm in height and 60 cm in width.

Very bright, it will bloom all summer, and its persistent grey-green foliage will remain in place even in winter (down to about -15°C). Melliferous, it will attract foraging insects and also allow you to enjoy its characteristic fragrance in cooking, in infusions, or in dried bouquets.

Not demanding regarding soil type, it will tolerate drought, sun, and even poor soils. In a pot, this lavender will gradually form a lovely round bush.

Fragrant white flowering plants for partial shade

Choisya ‘White Dazzler’

Mexican orange blossoms have a thousand qualities: evergreen and aromatic foliage, remaining decorative all year round, bright white flowering in spring, as well as the delightful fragrance of orange flowers.

‘White Dazzler’ is a compact variety with a rounded habit, measuring 1.2 metres in all directions, perfect for pot or container cultivation. Repeat flowering, this fragrant bush typically blooms a second time in late summer.

Hardy down to about -15°C and not very susceptible to diseases, the Mexican orange blossom is easy to grow. While it needs sunlight to flower generously, a position in partial shade is often sufficient, especially in the warm regions of southern France. Grow it in well-drained soil, it will thrive without worry and bring an exotic touch to your balconies and terraces.

Japanese Honeysuckle ‘Sweet Isabel’

This evergreen climber with voluble stems is ideal for dressing a railing, wall, or pergola on the terrace. It is at the end of spring that this honeysuckle begins to reward us with an abundant flowering, initially white, then taking on cream and yellow hues. Until autumn, it fills the space with its powerful, fruity fragrance. Small decorative blue-black fruits will follow the flowering.

Its compact silhouette reaches about 3 metres in all directions. Grow ‘Sweet Isabel’ in a large container in partial shade, in fresh (remaining moist) but well-drained soil.

Philadelphus Little ‘White Love’

Mock oranges or poet’s jasmine offer beautiful white spring flowering. ‘White Love’ is a dwarf variety producing well-double flowers, forming true pom-poms, under the weight of which the branches gracefully bend. Highly fragrant, this flowering exudes notes of orange flowers.

Measuring 1 metre in all directions and offering a bushy, dense habit, it will easily fit on terraces and balconies. It also has the advantage of being naturally resistant to pollution, making it an ideal candidate for urban areas.

Easy to grow, very hardy, and low-maintenance, it will thrive in partial shade, in any type of not too dry soil.

Gardenia jasminoides ‘Double Mint’

Gardenias are evergreen shrubs renowned for their fragrance. ‘Double Mint’ is no exception. Throughout the summer and until the first frosts, it rewards us with its long double flowering of a waxy white, turning pale yellow as it fades. Highly fragrant, the flowers reveal a sweet scent that fills the space for many weeks. Its glossy green foliage remains in place all year round.

This variety has the advantage of being a bit hardier than most gardenias (down to about -10°C) and more resistant to diseases. Its compact habit and small silhouette of 70 cm in all directions naturally make it suitable for terraces or balconies in partial shade, sheltered from the hottest rays of the day.

A bit more demanding than other fragrant white flowers, it will require a rather acidic substrate (for example, mixed with heather soil), in fairly rich soil that remains cool (moist).

Starry Wild Jasmine

Jasmines are climbing plants with adorable star-shaped flowers. Our starry wild jasmine blooms from May to August, producing large flowers that are initially dark pink in bud, then white. They emit a sweet floral fragrance that is very pleasant, less overpowering than that of other jasmines.

Not widely known, this variety nonetheless has many advantages. In addition to its long fragrant flowering, it features a dark green glossy evergreen foliage, aesthetic all year round.

Its compact silhouette is more bushy than climbing. Measuring about 1.5 metres in all directions, it is an ideal plant for pot cultivation. Guided along a support, it can still climb and develop even further.

The only downside: its limited hardiness (-5 to -7°C), requiring protection in winter in most regions.

Install this jasmine in partial shade, in a bright location, but sheltered from summer dryness, in fresh, rich substrate.

Fragrant white flowering plants for shade

Daphne ‘White Queen’

Daphnes are renowned shade bushes known for their flowering and fragrance. ‘White Queen’ heralds the arrival of spring, blooming in March-April. This plant reveals genuine bouquets of waxy, pure white flowers. Fragrant, they emit a sweet, almost intoxicating scent, which inevitably attracts pollinating insects.

Its harmonious and dense silhouette, reaching just over 1 metre in all directions over time, will integrate very well in a pot.

Avoiding the scorching rays of the sun, our daphne thrives in light shade. Provide it with cool soil that does not dry out, especially in summer. Moderately hardy (down to about -7°C), it should be sheltered in regions prone to severe frosts.

Sarcococca ‘Dragon’s Gate’

Sarcococca is a beautiful understorey shrub with evergreen foliage, remaining ornamental all year round. It has the advantage of flowering in winter, when most plants are in dormancy. ‘Dragon’s Gate’ is covered in small cream-white flowers, shaped like starry bells. They exude a powerful vanilla scent, mixed with notes of jasmine. After flowering, small decorative red berries appear.

Measuring 1 metre in all directions, it will settle in a pot on a shaded terrace or balcony. Hardy, easy, and low-maintenance, this small bush grows well in fairly cool, well-drained soil.

Skimmia japonica ‘Fragrant Cloud’

‘Fragrant Cloud’ is a fragrant spring-flowering shrub. Between April and May, it is covered in panicles of a slightly greenish or pinkish white, made up of a multitude of small stars. They release a delicious vanilla scent. The evergreen foliage is also fragrant, aromatic when crushed.

Our skimmia has a bushy habit, forming a compact dome of 1 metre in all directions. On the balcony or terrace, it will brighten and scent shaded areas or those facing north. Provide it with a cool, rich substrate, preferably slightly acidic, for it to thrive.