Vanillaleaf

Carphephorus odoratissimus

Vanillaleaf is a Southeastern perennial whose dried leaves smell of vanilla, holding flat clusters of rosy-purple flowers above pine-savanna grass in fall, a fragrant, drought-tolerant native for sunny, sandy gardens.

Family: Asteraceae
Type: wildflower
Lifespan: perennial
Height: 2–4 ft
Spacing: 1–2 ft apart
Light: sun
Soil moisture: dry, moist
Soil pH: acidic
Bloom: September, October, November
Bloom colors: purple, pink
Wildlife value: pollinators, butterflies
Landscape uses: border
Native states: AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC