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

Roses are undeniably beautiful, but some varieties have fragrances that outshine the rest. These highly aromatic roses will add color and fabulous scents to your garden. Plant them around your patio, along paths, or anywhere you’ll frequently enjoy their blooms.

Honey Perfume

The 2004 All-American Rose Selection winner ‘Honey Perfume’ is a floribunda rose that boasts clusters of stunning 4-inch apricot-yellow blooms. Known for its strong, spicy scent reminiscent of cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg, this perpetually blooming rose also has excellent resistance to powdery mildew and rose rust.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained, fertile soil

Size: Up to 4 feet high and 3 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

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Fragrant Plum

‘Fragrant Plum’ is a grandiflora rose characterized by lavender petals that deepen to a smoky purple at the edges. With double 4-inch blooms and a sweet, plum-like fragrance, it’s perfect for cut flower arrangements.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

Keep in mind that grandiflora roses require regular pruning, feeding, watering, and pest control to look their best.

Radiant Perfume

True to its name, 'Radiant Perfume' is a grandiflora rose with large, golden-yellow blooms and a strong citrus fragrance. The long stems make these flowers ideal for cutting.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

Heritage

‘Heritage’ is an outstanding English rose known for its soft-pink, petal-filled blooms with a sweet lemon scent. It has fewer thorns and good disease resistance. This delicate yet robust bloom thrives in partial shade and makes a fantastic cut flower.

Light: Best in full sun, tolerates part sun

Water: Plant in rich, well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet high and 4 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

When replacing an old rose bush, replace about 18 cubic inches of soil for optimum growth.

Louise Odier

With a rich history dating back to 1851, the 'Louise Odier' bourbon rose remains a favorite for its strong, sweet fragrance and bright pink blooms that last all summer long. Ideal for long-time gardeners, this heritage rose is renowned for its vigor and strength as a cut flower.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 6 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

Madame Plantier

‘Madame Plantier’ is an alba rose bred in 1835, known for its white, petal-packed flowers and sweet fragrance. Capable of significant vertical growth, it can be trained as a climbing rose.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: 8-12 feet tall and 6 feet wide

Zones: 4-9

Regular pruning will keep this rose tidy and encourage bushier growth.

Fragrant Cloud

Inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame by the World Federation of Rose Societies, 'Fragrant Cloud' has a captivating fragrance and striking coral-red blooms. This hybrid tea rose has a scent profile that combines citrus, spice, fruit, and damask to smell like pumpkin pie. Plant it in a sunny, well-drained location for the best results.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

Autumn Damask

‘Autumn Damask’ is a classic repeat-blooming rose dating back to the 1500s. Known for its beautiful pink flowers and strong fragrance, this variety remains popular today. Often called the “four seasons rose,” it’s a favorite of the perfume industry because it reliably blooms in spring and continues to flower sporadically through summer and fall.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

Double Delight

‘Double Delight’ is one of the most distinctive hybrid tea roses, featuring creamy white flowers with deep cherry-red edges that intensify as the bloom ages. As an All-America Rose Selections winner, it’s highly esteemed in the United States.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 3-9

To prevent fungal diseases, water roses at the base in the morning or use drip irrigation to keep the foliage dry.

Gertrude Jekyll

‘Gertrude Jekyll’ is a stunning English rose with pink blooms and a rich, old-fashioned fragrance. It’s easy to grow and offers excellent disease resistance. This versatile rose can be maintained as a tall shrub or trained to climb up to 10 feet.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 10 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

Just Joey

The ‘Just Joey’ hybrid tea rose is a feast for the eyes and the nose. Its rich, warm color blends pale apricot and glowing orange, while its large, ruffled 5-inch flowers emit a fruity scent that makes it a garden favorite. This compact plant blooms continuously and features deep-green foliage.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 4 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

With a compact size, 'Just Joey' is ideal for container planting on patios or porches.

Madame Alfred Carriere

Created in 1879, 'Madame Alfred Carriere' is a climbing rose that features pink-tinged white flowers with a strong, spicy-sweet scent. It produces a continuous supply of blossoms and is ideal for walls or pergolas, thanks to its minimal thorns. This hardy variety blooms almost continuously throughout the warmer months.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 16 feet tall and 9 feet wide

Zones: 6-9

Madame Isaac Pereire

Known as one of the most fragrant roses in history, 'Madame Isaac Pereire' has deep raspberry-rose flowers with a strong fragrance. Blooming in spring and again in summer, this shade-tolerant shrub forms a large, vigorous bush with thick, deep green foliage.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide

Zones: 6-9

Bourbon roses like ‘Madame Isaac Pereire’ can be trained as climbers, perfect for privacy screens and attracting butterflies.

Mister Lincoln

An award-winning hybrid tea rose introduced in 1965, 'Mister Lincoln' remains a garden favorite. Known for its rich, velvety-red petals and strong fragrance, this rose has become the standard for red roses.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

New Dawn

‘New Dawn’ is a climbing rose that showcases large, soft-pink flowers all summer long. Perfect for adding vertical interest, this rose requires plenty of space to climb and has a cascading growth habit.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

Roseraie de l'Hay

‘Roseraie de l'Hay’ is a rugosa rose known for its hardiness and stunningly fragrant magenta-purple blooms. This rose has excellent disease resistance and a long blooming season. Its highly textured foliage benefits from simple pruning rules to maintain its pleasing shape.

Light: Full sun

Water: Plant in well-drained soil

Size: Up to 5 feet tall and wide

Zones: 3-9

America

The award-winning ‘America’ climbing rose adds visual interest and a strong fragrance to pergolas, walls, and other outdoor structures. It features coral-pink blooms that appear