There are many garden flowers that smell like cloves even though they’ve never met a spice rack. That clove like scent comes from a compound called eugenol, which also gives cloves its familiar fragrance. Plants as different as carnations, dianthus, stock and yellow currants independently evolved the clove scent. Pollinators notice these scented cocktails while the clove scent discourages some pests. Nature reuses successful ideas like wings appearing in birds, bats and insects. When something works, evolution keeps ordering from the same playbook- like the smell of cloves.
Growing Home - Flowers That Smell Like Cloves
