I'm researching to make the same decision. 'Pallida' hard to beat for fragrance and was considered a mollis for a long time, now a x intermedia, a mollis hybrid. It tends to get as wide as tall and might be hard to fit into some gardens and its yellow flowers are less brightly colored than some. Chinese Witch Hazels are reported to be typically among the most fragrant. I'm considering H. mollis 'Wisely Supreme' or 'Boskoop'. They are strongly fragrant, more compact and perhaps have more upright shape? Less strong, but still of decent fragrance and of nice size and upright vase shape is 'Arnold Promise'.

Also consider fall foliage color. Many x intermedia are yellow. 'Arnold Promise' a nice orange and many mollis a deep orange red to red. Making it harder to choose there are also fragrance differences between them to consider such as citrus, spice, fruity. In the end, fragrance type & final size are most important, followed by shape or fall color.

There's a small 6' 'Little Suzie' available and you could then put in a compact Mock Orange, such as 'Snow White Sensation' next to it and/or a Daphne x transatlantica 'Eternal Fragrance' (should be called 'Eternal Bliss'). I apologize for being cruel on Christmas, but a 'Pallida' is going to take the space of 2-3 plants.

Best to visit as many nurseries as you can and sniff out your favorite decision(s). That is going to guide you best.

A Daphne, which is a must have, could alternatively go into a container along a pathway or patio ... and have you looked into Edgeworthia chrysantha 'Nanjing Gold'? Whatever you do, put a nice row of Hyacinth and/or fragrant Narcissis in front of it!!

Why not? It's Christmas ... and you could potentially pay it all off by next Christmas.

(My Wife is going to swoon in disbelief ... this summet i hid 40+ hyacinth along the front entrance path.)

Do you have a fragrant Viburnum? This is 'Spice Girl' ... a there's a more compact 'Spice Baby' out there too ...

Mollis is arguably the most intensely scented species but many cultivars of x intermedia have a pretty strong scent as well. Both 'Pallida' and 'Arnold's Promise' are referred to as having a "citrusy-spice" scent.

gfleatham, the Winter Garden at the Washington Park Arboretum has a good selection of witch hazel cultivars and it might be an idea to visit next month to do a "sniff test"!! That's what we did when trying to decide which cultivar to get based on both fragrance and flower color. A bunch of other great plants will be in bloom then and on into February, many that are noted for strong winter fragrance. I love that so many winter flowering plants have a strong fragrance - developed to attract what few pollinators might be present at this time of year :-) If you do visit the Arboretum, be sure to check out the grove of Chinese red birch in the winter garden - their bark effect is particularly stunning this time of year.......even more so if you can pick a sunny day!

Thx kindly, will sniff things out there.