Fragrant water lilies

[Ruthie]

Updating my wish list (don't tell hubby )  Which lilies (they can be hardy or tropical) are the most fragrant?

[Desertponder]

The Madame Wilfron Gonnere that I have smells pretty nice.

I have one lily that is very fragrant but I can't figure out which one it is. The scent can fill up the whole yard but if you get up close and sniff the blooms you really don't smell it.
I think it might be Sunrise but not certain.

[tranquility]

 Almost black is really fragrant...I can smell that one as soon as I turn the corner of the gh....to me it smells like cherry 7 up.....
Lawanna

[Double S]

I can barely smell any of mine.   :'(

[tranquility]

Sandi don't feel bad...AB is the ONLY one I can smell....I've heard lots of people say how fragrant trops are....I couldn't smell them either and I had well over 30 at one time....
Lawanna

[Cedric]

All of mine have a very pungent and lovely smell, almost like sweet vanilla I thought. They are all tropical. The ones that smell the best in my opinion are the N capensis varieties and the night bloomers, I suspect mine have all got capensis that in their parentage somewhere. The hardies I don't know. 

[Desertponder]

Oh yeah, I forgot about Almost Black! It does smell really nice too and yes, kind of like cherry.

[marla]

I'll have to stick my nose in Almost Black this year.  I have tried to get a wiff of scent from all my lilies hardy and tropical, lotus etc.  and  never notice anything.

[Cedric]

That's truly odd Maria. What are your tropicals?
I was just thinking to myself a few days ago bent over in concentration at a wonderful new trial variety of Dr Sam Wasuwat in Thailand how all the tropicals I have smelt smell the same. That sweet rich Vaniila smell. I don't know if that's true or not but to me they all smell the same, a bit like roses. But it's very strong that's for sure. Are yours in full sun?

[Sean]

I find an aroma from all of mine but I have to bend down to smell them. I can not smell them from walking by.  The only one I have ever smelt from very far from a pond is a Victoria at night with it's pungent pineapple aroma.

Cheers.
Sean

[maryvonne]

The most fragrant for me was Victoria longwood. The scent was very strong through the entire gardens and all through the house even before the bud actually opened. Nothing has ever surpassed that experience, although the Brugsmansias on the patio have come close. The gardens were filled with that wonderful pineappley scent for the two months that our three plants bloomed and it was wonderful. Even though I have grown these every year since I have never had the same success as that summer!
I also can detect a fairly strong scent on our Almost Black just walking past the pond when a couple blooms are open. Some of the tropical lilies also have a fairly strong fragrance especially when there are multiple blooms.

Maryvonne

[Cedric]

I agree with Sean you have to put your nose in there then it's really powerful, like a good wine. Maybe the shape of the flower bowl keeps it in.
This time of year we are awash with heady scents, enough to make you giddy. At the front gate I have the gothic looking Gongora  orchids perched like vampire bats fangs ready, positively reeking of nutmeg cloves and cinnamon. Mingled up the same tree is a large "monster deliciousness" that honks of ripe bananas and vanilla, altogether its quite overwhelming.

We also have a shrub with flowers that smell exactly like pineapple, minute the sun comes out the smell begins to waft across. Maryvonne I just collected a big fat pod from a pastel orange Brugsmania loaded with thousands of good seed, do you know if they germinate easily? The only other one nearby is white so I am hoping for some interesting colours.

[Kat]

When I have a bunch of tropicals blooming I'll notice a fragrance every now & then.  I sure hope I get to smell a Victoria sometime.  I reread the instructions on how to get one to grow from seed, & I don't think I'd have the patience to try it.

[Joyce]

If you really want fragrance....try LOTUS!

(although Nymphaea odorata isn't named that for no reason)

[tranquility]

If you really want fragrance....try LOTUS!

(although Nymphaea odorata isn't named that for no reason)

OH yes....the back of the gh smells heavenly when all of my parent stock is blooming  ....
Lawanna