8 Fragrant Groundcovers That Will Add Refreshing Scents to Your Garden

Groundcover plants bring texture, color, and a sense of unity to the garden. For added benefit, consider a groundcover that adds fragrance! The groundcovers listed below will bring a refreshing touch to your landscape with their scented flowers or foliage. Some plants, like woodland phlox and sweet violet, offer fragrant flowers as a seasonal delight. Others, such as creeping thyme and creeping rosemary, have leaves that release a pleasant aroma throughout the season.

Allegheny Spurge

Native to Southeastern North America, Allegheny spurge (Pachysandra procumbens) creates dense mats of evergreen or semi-evergreen leaves, making it a great choice for woodland or shade gardens. It spreads by rhizomes but isn't invasive; clumps can extend 4 feet or more. Its very fragrant, 2- to 4-inch flower spikes are greenish-white or white and bloom in early spring before new leaves appear.

Growing Conditions: Shade to part shade; moist, well-drained soil

Size: 6-12 inches tall, 1-4 feet wide

Zones: 5-9

Creeping Rosemary

Known for its piney scent, creeping rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ‘Prostratus’) is a common rosemary variety that works well as a groundcover in sunny gardens or at the top of a wall for a cascading effect. It has strongly aromatic, deep green leaves and somewhat woody stems. Blue flowers bloom in spring and summer, attracting bees and other pollinators.

Growing Conditions: Full sun; moist, well-drained soil

Size: 6-12 inches tall, 18-24 inches wide

Zones: 8-11

Creeping Thyme

Creeping thyme (Thymus serpyllum) is a low-growing evergreen herb that forms a dense mat by rooting along its semi-woody stems. In late spring and early summer, tiny pink or purple flowers appear in clusters, attracting a variety of pollinators. Luckily, deer and rabbits usually leave it alone.

Growing Conditions: Full sun; well-drained soil

Size: 2-6 inches tall, 12-18 inches wide (or more)

Zones: 2-9

Creeping thyme is perfect for filling spaces between pavers or stepping stones in sunny areas. It can handle light foot traffic and releases a pleasant herbal aroma when stepped on.

Dwarf Catmint

Catmint (Nepeta spp.) is an easy-to-grow perennial with gray-green leaves. It blooms from late spring through summer, and both its leaves and flowers are fragrant. Dwarf varieties such as ‘Little Trudy’ and ‘Little Titch,’ which grow 8-10 inches tall with warm purple flowers, make excellent groundcovers for sunny gardens. Catmints offer a long flowering season, a spicy fragrance, and attract many pollinators while deterring deer.

Growing Conditions: Full sun (afternoon shade in warmer regions); moist, well-drained soil

Size: 8-14 inches tall, 12-24 inches wide

Zones: 3-8

Roman Chamomile

Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile) produces small, aromatic, daisy-like flowers with white petals and yellow centers from June to September. Both leaves and flowers emit a sweet, fruity aroma and can be dried for a calming tea. This perennial is easy to grow from seed and spreads by rooting along its creeping stems. Its meandering habit makes it a great alternative to a fragrant lawn or for planting between stepping stones.

Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade; well-drained sandy soil

Size: 3-6 inches tall, 6-12 inches wide

Zones: 4-9

Sweet Violet

Sweet violet (Viola odorata) flowers are wonderfully fragrant and have been used in perfume-making for ages. Typically deep purple, the flowers can also be light purple, pink, or white, and bloom above a clump of heart-shaped, evergreen leaves from late winter to early spring. An added bonus: the flowers are edible.

Growing Conditions: Full sun in cooler areas, part shade elsewhere; fertile, moist, well-drained soil

Size: 4-6 inches tall, 1-2 feet wide

Zones: 4-9

Sweet Woodruff

Sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum) is a great option for moist, shady spots. It's an easy-to-grow perennial that creates a lush carpet of bright green foliage when happy with its conditions. In late spring, tiny white star-shaped flowers appear in abundance, and both leaves and flowers carry a light vanilla-like fragrance. Flowering stems with leaves are even used to flavor May wine, a traditional German drink.

Growing Conditions: Full or part shade; moist, well-drained soil

Size: 6-12 inches tall, 12-24 inches wide

Zones: 4-9

Woodland Phlox

Also known as wild blue phlox, woodland phlox (Phlox divaricata) is a North American native perennial that forms mats of foliage spreading widely. Sweetly-scented, delicate clusters of blue or purple flowers bloom in April and May, with a white-flowered variety called ‘Fuller’s White’ available. This creeping groundcover loves dappled shade and is great for the front of perennial borders or between trees and shrubs in a woodland garden. Its shallow roots make it perfect for covering early spring flowering bulbs.

Growing Conditions: Full or part shade; moist, acidic, well-drained soil

Size: 9-12 inches tall, 12-24 inches wide or more

Zones: 3-8