Valerian officinalis is white and has quite a pungent smell. When it first flowers it smells like vanilla but when the flower begins to go over, it can smell a bit strong. And there is the pink one too but I don't know if that smells.
This is it. Sweet smelling - I don’t think so. Smells of strong vomit mixed with animal poo to me. Unfortunately the cat likes it and comes in smelling of it. I think it’s the sap and not the flowers. Anyway I killed it off.
Thanks for helping me find out the name as it was driving me mad.
It's a plant we really love ... we have the red and white versions in our garden ... neither of us can smell anything nasty from it, and the bees, butterflies and other pollinators love it too.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I let it self seed over most of my gravel drive. It's been there for years - so the neighbours have it too I've not detected any smell from it at all. Are you sure it's not a night time visitor cocking his leg?
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Sorry had to recharge my battery. No definitely it’s much worse than an animal cocking it’s leg. It’s vomit smelling. I have some that grows in the middle of a shrub. Try picking one using uncovered hands. Are you all sure that you have the same version? According to the internet, there are a number of versions and it’s definitely the ruber “albus’ valerian version.
Mine looks identical to that photo but has no smell at all maybe it's to do with soil conditions? Not sure what that means exactly but it's the sort of thing people say......
I don’t know what to say really, mine definitely stinks every year it blooms that’s why I cut it down and weed killed whatever I could as it is so vile. I’ll get my husband to smell it and see what he thinks as his sense of smell is less keen than mine.
We have the white version alongside the path in our front garden ... no smell that we can discern ... OH has a very keen sense of smell and mine's pretty good too
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Centranthus ruber 'Albus'valerian
Centranthus ruber 'Albus'valerian
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I've not detected any smell from it at all.
Are you sure it's not a night time visitor cocking his leg?
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
at all maybe it's to do with soil conditions?
Not sure what that means exactly but it's the sort of thing people say......
Maybe the ability to smell it is genetic ... like the ability to smell asparagus taint in urine https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314722.php
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.