Scents, Smells and Stenches
In nature’s perfumery, fragrances range from delicate to intense — and some flowers can smell downright foul. Flowers imitate the scents of insects in order to attract them. As soon as they open, their petals release the fragrance of essential oils: an irresistible mixture that works even in the smallest quantities. To attract a bee, just one milligram of rose scent in 10,000 m³ of air is enough.
In some species, males respond to different scents than females. Climate change, however, is making the relationship between flower and insect more difficult: at higher temperatures, flowering plants lose their scent — and with it their attraction for insects.
Smell of Decay
Flies and beetles are drawn to carrion flowers. They are attracted by the smell of decay.
From left to right: swallow-wort (Vincetoxicum hirundinaria), bird’s-eye primrose (Primula farinosa).
Pleasant Fragrances
People find floral scents such as violet, rose and citrus pleasant, but also animal scents such as musk or amber.
From left to right: dog rose (Rosa canina), broad-leaved thyme (Thymus pulegioides), musk yarrow (Achillea moschata), crown vetch (Securigera varia), vanilla orchid (Nigritella rhellicani).
Scent of Hay
The typical smell of hay comes from coumarin in grasses and clovers.
From left to right: red clover (Trifolium pratense), sweet vernal grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum).
Heavy Fragrance Notes
Lilies, hyacinths and sandalwood have especially strong scents.
From left to right: martagon lily (Lilium martagon), three-leaved valerian (Valeriana tripteris).
Aromatic Fragrances
The spicy aromas of cinnamon and clove-like plants are popular in baked goods.
Wood avens (Geum urbanum).
To use floral scents in perfumes, essential oils were once extracted from petals with fat and then dissolved in alcohol. This elaborate method of enfleurage has since been replaced by simpler processes.