Five scented plants for November

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Saturday, 16 November 2019 at 11:50 am

Take a look at some of our favourite fragranced plants for November.

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While many plants are dying back this month, others will continue to provide pleasing scents to enjoy.

Aromatic, evergreen herbs like sage and bay are perfect for this, and you can use them in the kitchen to make hearty winter dishes.

For veg, fish and meat recipes, take a look at our herb pots to create, planted up with tasty combinations of herbs to flavour your meals.

Discover five of the best scented plants for November, below.

Sage

This delicious and essential ingredient to sage and onion stuffing, brings scent and colour year round. You can also use freshly picked sage leaves to create a warming tea.

Purple sage

Purple and green sage foliage

Cobaea scandens

This vigorous climber can keep flowering throughout the year, if not killed by frosts. While usually grown as an annual, Cobaea scandens is perennial, so you may be able to keep it flowering if grown in a sheltered spot.

Cobaea scandens

Bell-shaped cream/pale-green flower of Cobaea scandens

Bay

Often grown as a clipped standard, bay (Laurus nobilis) is a familiar garden plant with a wonderful spicy scent. Use the leaves and berries in culinary dishes and to make festive table decorations.

Lollipop bay trees

A row of standard bay trees

Viburnum x bodnantense

Viburnum x bodnantense is an excellent shrub, providing structure and colourful autumn foliage, followed by a long season of fragranced flowers. They will usually open in November and last through to March.

Viburnum bodnantense Dawn

Purple foliage and small pink flowers of viburnum 'Dawn'

Mahonia

Mahonias are robust evergreen shrubs that light up winter gardens with their bright yellow, fragrant blooms. The flowers are also a valuable source of pollen and nectar for pollinators emerging in winter.

Mahonia

Spiky foliage and bright yellow flowers of mahonia

More plants to grow for fresh tea

Mint – lots of mint cultivars with different flavours

Lemon balm – use the leaves to make a soothing tea

Chamomile – use the whole flowers and enjoy hot or iced

Echinacea – use the leaves, buds and roots to make tea

Passionflower – use the fresh leaves from Passiflora incarnata in tea to relieve insomnia and anxiety

Fennel – use the seeds and foliage

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