suggestions for a shrub?

I need a shrub.
Here are the parameters:

it should be FRAGRANT! but not with showy flowers (this would grow up next to a deck where people sit)
evergreen would be nice but not mandatory
at least five feet tall, preferably not taller than ten feet, but we could keep it trimmed.
only two-three feet wide
compact growth, not rangy
can tolerate half day sun
good loamy soil, next to a Japanese Maple

we welcome your suggestions!

Does it have to be fragrant so that you can smell from far away, or is it OK if you have to stick your nose by the plant to smell it? And why are showy flowers bad? I think you'd open up more possibilities for yourself if showy flowers were OK (gardenias were the first thing that came to mind--they have a beautiful fragrance and should do great in your conditions, but the flowers are more showy) If you're wanting to avoid showy flowers because you're afraid of bees or something, that won't necessarily help you, they like un-showy flowers too. Some sort of Abelia would be my next thought, their flowers are less showy than the Gardenias but you can't smell them from as far away.

Osmanthus americanus for evergreen foliage; Hamamelis vernalis for deciduous but marcescent foliage.

Both can take pruning, are exceedingly fragrant, and hardy for your zone.

Trying to keep anything to the dimensions you've mentioned is wildly optimistic, but who but a gardener to tackle that task.

Hi
I think the tea olive is a great suggestion.

How about a mint shrub?

http://www.fragrant-gardens.com/mint-shrub.php

This one seems to have some of the requirements you ask for :)

whoops! think it's probably a bit to rangy for you :) sorry :P

This message was edited Dec 12, 2007 6:19 PM

Maybe Carolina allspice?

Calycanthus floridus - Carolina allspice is a dense, rounded deciduous shrub with a suckering habit which grows 6-9' (less frequently to 12') tall with an equal or slightly greater spread.

Features very fragrant, brown to reddish-brown flowers (2" across) which bloom at the ends of short branch lets in May. Flowers give way to brownish, urn-shaped fruits (seed capsules) which mature in fall and persist throughout the winter. Lustrous, dark green (pale beneath), ovate to elliptic leaves to 6" long turn golden yellow in fall.

Leaves are aromatic when bruised. Also commonly called sweet shrub and strawberry bush in reference to the fragrant blooms which have been described as combining hints of pineapple, strawberry and banana.

Sweet scented purple-brown flowers; resistant to disease and insect damage; makes excellent border shrub; adapts to many soil types; easily transplanted; toxic to cows

Specimen near front door, patio or other living areas where the fragrant flower aroma may be enjoyed. Shrub borders. Foundations. Native plant areas. Zones 4-9.

Hello All
We call Carolina Allspice Sweet Betsy. It is very beautiful in bloom but it doesn't stay in bloom very long. The flowers look like they have been fashioned from wood. In order to catch the scent, the leaves or blooms have to be brushed. Ours kept popping up from the ground a distance away from where we planted it. The landscaper pulled it up to move it but I noticed a few weeks ago it was back. The fragrance is very nice and clean. One aspect that I liked was that we had it planted at the corner of the house. It grew to about 7 feet tall and whenever we had a heavy rain the entire bush fell over on its side. This doesn't sound so hot, but laying on its side --at that site --allowed the undersides of the leaves to show. It looked really nice there. It was a lucky break because it wouldn't have fitted in well elsewhere.

Hey thank you all for the suggestions; I spoke with my local nursery woman and she concurred that the Osmanthus would be ideal, and she has it in stock . . . it's a beautiful plant. thank you.

Good deal! Glad you found the perfect shrub! :) Good luck with it :)