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

What fun to see all these! Of the new introductions, I think the hybrid rugosa 'Wild Spice' rates a mention! I once had a hedge of Rosarie de l'Hay, one of my earliest to bloom, and it also had a glorious clove-spiked fragrance. Most rugosas share a unique quality to their scent. Glad to see 'Parole' on the list--a Kordes also sold as Buxom Beauty, a rose which leaped onto my wish list the first I heard of it!

Thank you, Sam, for an excellent article. As gardeners, we have a responsibility to be well-informed, good stewards. The problem with butterfly bush, aside from possible invasive tendencies, is that although butterflies, bees, and other pollinators may love the nectar, it provides no food for the caterpillars. No caterpillars = no butterflies.

Duchess de Rohan and Yolande d' Aargon both get my vote as the most powerful and intoxicating old rose scent, beating any modern or Austin roses. That's from my 150+ fragrant own-root roses. I'm having a few Duchess de Rohan (dark pink) in a vase, and it perfumes both the kitchen and my family room, I can smell the scent 20 feet away. Scent is way more powerful than Evelyn (upper large bloom). Duchess wafts farther away than Comte de Chambord. La Reine's scent is one-tenth of Duchess, same with Paul Neyron and Madame Isaac Pereire. Zeph. Drouhin can compete with Duchess in wafting ability, but not in intensity. Below Yolande d'Aargon lasts twice longer in the vase than Duchess de Rohan, plus the scent is so powerful that it lingers on my face for 15 min. after sniffing, so refreshing. Duchess has the strong and wafting scent, versus Yolande is pure heaven on one's face. 1st-year-own-root Yolande has fast repeat, now on its 2nd flush after I pruned it. When it was young as own-root, Duchess repeated in late fall with tons of rain and sulfate of potash. As it gets older (8th-year), Duchess doesn't repeat but suckers more. Below is my 1st bloom of Yolande d'Aargon from Roses Unlimited: it knocked me over with its powerful old rose scent.