Fragrance is, apparently, a very personal sensory experience. Years ago, when first visiting rose gardens with my wife, I would stick my nose into one rose after another declaring it wonderfully fragrant of devoid of fragrance. My wife would follow me and absolutely contradict me declaring those I had deemed devoid of fragrance "deliciously fragrant" and characterizing those whose fragrance I found powerful as having "no discernible fragrance." At first I thought she was pulling my leg, having a good laugh at my expense, so I had her go first. I found to my surprise that we could absolutely predict which the other would find fragrant and which devoid of fragrance.

A little more experimenting revealed that apparently I can smell the OGRs with the characteristic Damask scent while she can smell the Tea and China scented roses that are almost scentless to me. There seems to be some overlap though as in the spicy rugosa scents.

So, my own impression is (reinforced by discussions on this board) that scent is a very personal experience.

I completely agree that the ability to smell roses are different for every single person. A lot of modern roses smell the same to me actually, very monotonous. But that's probably because most ARE lacking of scent.

When I had a small Mutabilis I could pick up, when the blooms first opened, a very faint, but warm scent. It was kinda like you're just breathing and suddenly a tiny whiff of spice got into the back of your nose, very fleeting and earthy, but still there. My parents couldn't smell a thing.

I also pick up somewhat of a soapy smell from my Roseraie De' L'Hay and am uncertain whether or not I can pick up it's supposedly strong clove note.

Darlow's Engima has given me a few blooms and I've yet to smell it's supposed strong scent.

Very interesting concept here.

Max

I can't smell anything on Peace, Chicago Peace or Iceberg even though people say they have scent. I smell the damasky lemony ones the best.

I think I'm the only person who doesn't detect a scent on SDLM. I constantly keep takings whiffs to see if I can detect this "strong fragrance" I hear about. I barely pick up any fragrance at all. But they sure are gorgeous blooms.

Most of the time, I can't smell any fragrance at all on my 'Paul Neyron', although I read that others rave about theirs.
Oddly enough, I CAN smell a nice, light fragrance when I put my nose to blooms on my 'Knockout' rose. Who'd have thought?

Irish_rose_grower, that's wild. My SDLM is really fragrant to me (a distinct, sweet, powdery smell). Sometimes, in the summer, it even floats on the breeze several feet from the plant. Funny how noses are :-)

Randy

One of my trickiest for me to get a good smell from is Neptune. Sometimes I can smell it while other times I can't. It just depends on the ambient conditions at the time it is open. Yet, Silverado, Melodee Parfumee, and Fragrant Plum are fairly consistently fragrant.

I have two roses that truly bug me.

One is Maria Callas that supposedly one of the most fragrant roses (see Vintage catalog' fragrance rating) and so far I am unable to detect any fragrance. It is still a small plant, just a bit older than a one-year-old band, so it may change for the better - I certainly hope so.

The other one is Baronne Edmond de Rothschild that again supposedly very fragrant. This rose is a very strong healthy plant from Palatine; true it is also a first year plant so this may improve. I am able to detect a very slight fragrance but nothing I would call intense or very fragrant.

On the other hand, Vintage lists as Âstrongest Papa Meilland, Crimson Glory, Lemon Spice, Fragrant cloud - and I positively agree with their assessment in these cases even though I am not that fond of Fragrant Cloud's very powerful scent. [I would also add Colette and Rouge Royale both to the list- I found them having extraordinary perfume.]

I now that I am bad in detecting the fragrance of tea roses with a few exceptions.

Still, Maria Callas and Baronne Edmond are the major teasers in my garden - they should have killing fragrance that I cannot detect.:-((

I'm one of those folks who have problems detecting a 'tea' scent in roses. :-( I can smell SDLM and Duchess du Brabant, but I understand that they don't have a tea scent. I cannot smell Lady Hillingdon, Baronne Henriette de Snoy and could barely smell Devoniensis. It will be interesting to see if I can smell Clementina Carbonieri when its first bud opens for me soon. I do not detect anything on any of my chinas either (but most chinas don't have a strong scent from what I've been told). When I gardened back up north I could smell most of the fragrant once bloomers (but R. gallica versicolor wasn't all that strong to my nose).

I get very little scent from Sombreuil (the large-flowered climber). Occasionally its scent wafts down the side yard where it's planted, but that's it. SDLM is only faintly fragrant to me, too. Blush Noisette is said to be one of the most fragrant, and I barely get anything from it.

My allergies diminish my sense of smell, I know. Visitors come to the cemetery rose garden declaring that the scent bowls them over as soon as they get out of the car, and I barely notice it. I had a few days of sinus clarity this spring, and was astonished at the fragrance.

The damask scent, fortunately, penetrates my congestion, as do musks and a few of the teas.
Anita

Devon this is so subjective. There are lots of roses that other people think are fragarnt that have no scent at all to me. Thank goodness I can smell anything.

Peggy, lol, I finally figured out what is meant by the "tea" scent. It means no scent :-)
And you are right, Duchesse de Brabant does NOT have the "tea" scent. It has a strong, fruity, delicious scent.

Randy

I never could detect much scent at all in most of my teas or chinas, even the ones touted to have strong fragrance. Once in awhile I can smell a faint peppery smell in Archduke Charles. However, I can smell Mutabilis several feet away. Mine has a sweet scent that floats gently in the air.When I stick my nose in one of the blossoms, it is fairly strong, for me.

I never could detect any scent in SDLM either.

Sandy

With as many roses as I grow....the yard is almost all roses!....I never get anything "wafting on the breeze". I never had the "bloom that perfumes a whole room". If I want something in the air, I have to walk by the sweet olive or the honeysuckle on the trellis.

Sandy, have you ever cut blooms from SdlM and brought them indoors for a vase? And could you still not smell its fragrance? It's so strong for me that I have to take it off the table before eating or it interferes with the taste of my food.
I just won't let this go, will I?
:-)

Randy

I don't normally suffer from this affliction - but I have to agree that Darlow's Enigma does nothing for me in light of the sometimes rapturous descriptions of its scent. Actually, I can detect an odor when the blooms are young, but to my nose it's unpleasant and non-floral, more like machine shop dust. That said, I think multiflora has the same odor.

It's strange that you say Duchesse de Brabant doesn't have the tea scent. A few months back I took a whiff of one beautiful flower and got the distinct sensation of sweetened iced tea. It was the nicest feeling - not a taste and not a smell. I struggled a bit to figure it out. I thought of tea leaves but thought that wasn't quite it. Then realized it was the sweetness added to the tea like a good glass of iced tea.

If she doesn't have the tea scent, what scent does she have?

Sherry

The Vintage catalog says that "Condesa de Sastago" is one of the most fragrant Hybrid Teas for its type of fragrance. I can detect it, but have a gap there, because it's not strong to me.

As I get older, I think my sense of smell is weakening. We have some really old Mr. Lincolns here that used to bowl me over, and it seems less potent now.

Jerome