3 Fragrant Houseplants to Freshen the Air

These days you may spend a little more time at home for work or entertainment, and if your family is like most, you may also frequently invest in air-freshening aerosols and plug-ins. But wouldn’t it be nice to have a natural way to help keep the air inside your home smelling fresh? Think about using one of these fragrant plants as a natural air freshener for your indoor spaces.

Night-Blooming Jasmine                                                                                                                                                To enjoy a fragrant night’s sleep consider investing in night-blooming jasmine. This plant is a member of the nightshade family and its white-yellow, tubular flowers release an intense perfume at night. Night-blooming jasmine enjoys full sun, and you should let its soil dry out completely between watering. During its growing season fertilize the plant using a half-strength, balanced fertilizer and prune it after it flowers to cultivate more blooms.

Cuban Oregano                                                                                                                                                          Cuban oregano emits an earthy aroma (a mix of oregano and sage) in bright light, which is where it grows best. Before watering the plant let the top 2 inches of soil dry out, keep the soil well drained, and avoid overwatering. Be sure to prune Cuban oregano on a regular basis.

Kumquat Tree                                                                                          A kumquat tree produces sweetly aromatic white flowers which eventually become orange-like fruit the size of large olives. You can eat the fruit in its entirety, skin and all, for a sweet-and-sour treat. A tree typically produces fruit when it is 2 to 3 years old, so invest in one within that age range.                           To care for a kumquat tree water it when the top 2 to 3 inches of soil are dry, and stop when water runs out of the pot’s drainage holes—don’t let the tree sit in wet soil. The good thing about kumquat trees is that they’re self-pollinating, which means you don’ have to worry about having more than one tree.                            Be sure not to grow your kumquat too closely to a heater or an A/C unit. Feed it using an organic citrus fertilizer, and stop applying the fertilizer during the winter. This tree can reach between 10 and 12 feet tall, so make sure you’ve got enough room to accommodate its growth.