Low light fragrants

I have a second bathroom that has no windows. (It is vented. This is Manhattan--we pay extra for windows). I'd love to put up a 2' shelf with a fluorescent fixture above it and grow some plants with nice fragrances. It's ALWAYS warm in that room, and frequently humid, of course.

Can I grow patchouli? Some kind of jasmine? Other suggestions?

Bill, writing from the home of locust and ginko

I would browse through Logees catalog www.logees.com They sell a lot of tropical plants that people grow as houseplants, and I think (although I'm not positive) that they have comments on how much light they need if you're growing them indoors. Not everything they have is fragrant, but a lot of them are.

Bill: I asked over on the hoya forum if there were any hoyas that would do well in the conditions you listed. Alohahoya who is one of the Hoya experts says if you have good air circulation in the bathroom the H. Lacunosa should love it with the humidity in there! I have Lacunosa and it has a heavenly fragrance!

Here's the link to Plant Files with info on the H. Lacunosa:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/56314/


Good luck with your search for fragrant plants!

There are a couple of scented Streps too, they grow well under lights and would appreciate the nice warm, humid conditions.

Oh yeah ... how could I forget about Strep's? Maybe cause I can't seem to keep one alive for very long! :( There are some beautiful ones in Plant Files:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/adv_search.php?searcher%5Bcommon%5D=&searcher%5Bfamily%5D=&searcher%5Bgenus%5D=streptocarpus&searcher%5Bspecies%5D=&searcher%5Bcultivar%5D=&searcher%5Bhybridizer%5D=&search_prefs%5Bblank_cultivar%5D=&search_prefs%5Bsort_by%5D=rating&images_prefs=both&Search=Search

Threegardeners: Do you know the names of some of the fragrant ones?

er----something like "It Makes Scents". I looked at it when I ordered a while back---

Looks like Gary's Out of Africa which I've heard good things about has a couple:

Streptocarpus 'Heaven Scent' and 'It Makes Scents' ... very pretty!

http://www.garys-out-of-africa.com/streptocarpus2.htm

Plectranthus (sorry I don't know the name of the cultivar). It has fuzzy variegated leaves and smells lightly of lemon-mint. It might be in Plant Files.

Under 2 florescent tubes, you can grow Jasmine Sambac 'Maid of Orleans'. It's an everbloomer with a heavenly fragrance.

Logess, unfortunately, has stopped listing the requirements/details for the plants they sell in the catalog :( The last two catalogs I've received have not had it....

Many thanks, folks. Sounds like jasmine may be the ticket, although the hoya and the streps are very appealing too. Maybe one in one bathroom and another in the second. I'll let you know how it works out.

Bill

You might try cestrum nocturnum, night blooming jasmine. Not a true jasmine, but several DG members report it has strong fragrance and can be grown as a house plant. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/2128/

-Joe

You can grow it as a houseplant, but I wouldn't describe it as a low-light houseplant. I don't think it'll bloom unless you give it pretty decent light.

Thanks ecrane for that note. :) C. nocturnum is on my want list for this year, but I'm not sure where I can overwinter it if the basement flurorescents won't work.

-Joe

If you're just overwintering it the fluorescents in the basement should be fine, as long as you put it outside and get it some nice sunshine during the rest of the year I think it'll bloom for you. Scallionboy I think was looking for a permanent houseplant, and in a low-light situation year-round I doubt if it would bloom.