Yes, many heirloom types are sweet william fragrant with a strong clove-spicy perfume. But not all types smell the same, and many new hybrids have lost most of their scent due to plant breeding focused on flower size.
I tested the sweet william scent of three top types in my own garden last summer at different times of day. The heirloom Albus and Sweet Black Cherry hit my nose with strong spicy perfume, while the Telstar Mix had almost no scent at all.
The classic sweet william scent reminds me of a mix of cloves and faint cinnamon with a hint of fresh pinks. Warm evening air pulls this perfume out of the flowers more than midday sun does, which makes dusk the best time to sniff your blooms.
When I first planted my Sweet Black Cherry patch, I could smell the perfume from 10 feet away on warm summer nights. My modern Telstar plants right next to it gave off no scent at all, even with my nose right up to the flower heads.
The reason for this split comes down to plant chemistry. Old types pack their petals with eugenol-like compounds, which release the spicy scent into warm air. New types often lose these scent oils.
Modern breeders push for bigger blooms, brighter colors, and first-year flowering in most new types. These traits often come at the cost of scent. The genes for big flowers and the genes for scent do not always travel together.
Here is how the main cultivars stack up based on my own sniff tests over the past three growing seasons:
If scent matters to you, pick heirloom seeds from heritage seed companies like Baker Creek or Select Seeds. These groups save old plant lines that keep their strong perfume genes from years past.
I bought my Sweet Black Cherry seeds from a heritage seed exchange for just $3 a packet last spring. That small cost gave me the most scented sweet william patch I have ever grown in 15 years of garden work.
The classic clove perfume of these old types makes them top picks among the best clove fragrance flowers for any cottage garden plan. Pair them with phlox and dianthus pinks for a scented bed that fills the air on warm summer evenings.
Plant your scented sweet williams near places where you sit or walk to make the most of the perfume each day. Try a spot next to a patio, along a path to your door, or under an open kitchen window for the best results.
Read seed packet notes for scent ratings before you buy if perfume matters to you in the bed. Words like fragrant, scented, or perfumed on the packet hint at strong scent, while no mention of smell often means the type lacks perfume.
For the best fragrant cottage garden flowers, plant in groups of 5 or more for a stronger scent boost. Single plants give off some perfume, but a tight cluster fills the air with much more spicy scent that you can enjoy from far across the yard.
Read the full article: Sweet William Flower: Growing Guide and Varieties
