Acacia
Small gray-green leaves and the tips of twigs. Acacia has a slightly woody scent that blends well with nearly anything.

Allspices
Brown berries, larger than peppercorns, with a distinct spicy fragrance. In potpourri they are used whole, rather than in the powdered form used for cooking.

Artemisia, Silver King or Silver Queen
Only faintly fragrant, their gray leaves are used for color. They blend especially well with shades of pink and rose.

Baby´s breath
White or pale pink with tiny flowers and no fragrance. The varieties with larger flowers show up best in potpourri. Available fresh or dried from florists.

Balsam fir
The needles and tips from this particular variety of fir tree are very strongly scented. They retain a good shade of green if the branches are removed from the tree and dried in a cool, shady place. If you are lucky enough to have access to balsam Christmas trees, save the needles and tips. Needles of other coniferes are not a subbstitute. Although the cones of the balsam tree have very little scent, they are small and attractive.

Bay Leaves
Olive green when dried, with a delicate fragrance. You may use the same bay leaves you use in cooking, but the wild bay that grows along the shore has an equally pleasant fragrance

Birchbark
White curls of outer bark from the white birch. Although the bark has no scent, it adds a nice texture to a woody blend. The tree is not harmed by having little curls pulled off, but you should never strip bark beyond the top papery layer.

Bougainvillea
Large papery blossoms in shades of pink. They have a very faint floral scent. These are surprisingly sturdy for their parchment transparency.

Calendula
Bright orange flowers that hold their color well when dried. They have no fragrance. Easily grown as an annual flower, they may be dried on wire screens or hung in bunches inside paper bags to catch the falling petals.

Chamomile
Timy yellow flowers. They have a pungent, flowery scent. This is the same flower used in tea. The flowers fall apart easily but the scent remains.

Cardamon
White pods that are broken open to reveal small brown seeds. The seeds have a very strong, warm, spicy scent, good in spice or citrus-based blends.

Cedar
Wood shavings of a reddish brown color. They have a strong, clean scent, used in woody-blends and in moth-repellent potpourri. Cedar is most easily obtained in bags from pet supply stores. The tips of cedar branches, dried in a cool, shady place, can also be used, although their fragrance is less pungent.

Celosia
Feathery flowers in reds, oranges, and yellows. They have no fragrance. These plumes should be dried lying on their sides to hasten the process so they don´t loose their color. Break the larger plumes apart for dashes of bright color.

Cinnamon
The shaved bark of a tropical tree. Cinnamon has a rich, spicy fragrance. If possible, use soft stick cinnamon, which break up more easily, thereby releasing more of its fragrance oils. Harder stick work best if they are broken into small pieces.

Clove
Dark brown buds, very strongly scented. These are the same cloves used in cooking, but in their whole form, rather than ground to a powder.

Cones and pods
Small cones from balsam, hemlock, or other conifers add to bulk as well as appearance. Pods and seed heads of alder, eucalyptus, kazrina, and other trees or shrubs work just as well. They are especially appropriate in Christmas blends.

Coriander
Light brown seeds the size of peppercorns. Mildly spicy, they blend well with citrus and are more fragrant if they are broken slightly with a hammer.

Delphinium
Bright blue flowers with no scent. One of the few true blues that hold their color when dry, deliphinium blossons are a vibrant addition to potpourris using red or bright pink roses.

Dudinea
Small, translucent, buff-colored flowers. Although they appear fragile and delicate, these flowers are actually quite stiff. They provide air space in a potpourri while giving it a light, soft look.

Dusty miller
Gray, velvety leaves in deep-cut shapes. Althought they have no scent, these leaves add a soft color and texture to potpourri, and are especially effective when pressed against the inside of a glass jar of bright flowers.

Eucalyptus
Long stiff leaves that blend well with nearly any flowers. Break the larger leaves into pieces release their floral scent.

Elder flowers
Golden yellow with a sweet honey scent somewhat akin to orange blossoms. They are quite fine in texture and cannot be used for their color because they fall to the bottom.

Frankincense
A gum resign, available in small, rocklike lumps. Frankincense adds an oriental touch to any blend. It is often used in Christmas potpourri because it was one of the three gifts of the Wise Men.

Geranium
While the bright blossoms of the common house and garden plant dry well for a touch of color, it is the scented leaves of the pelargonium species of geranium that are used in potpourri. These vary from a deep, rich rose scent to a citrusy fragrance. The dried leaves are rarely available from suppliers, so it may be best to grow these yourself. They make very good houseplants, and are even more fragrant growing than they are when dried.

Globe amaranth
One of the brightest of the everlasting flowers, in magenta, pink, white, orange, and red. They look like clover blossoms and are as sturdy as they are colorful.

Heather
Tiny pink flowers with only a faint scent. They blend well with gray leaves, such as artemisia, for misty romantic blends.

Hibiscus
Dark red blossoms with a slightly sharp scent. They blend well with greens ina Christmas potpourri.

Holly berries
Round red berries that dry to a deep red. Most commonly used in Christmas blends.

Hydrangea
Creamy white or rose-colored florets add a Victorian look to blends of mauce and rose tones. They have no scent, but keep their color well without turning yellow.

Jasmine
Delicate white flowers with a distinct scent. These add an oriental touch, usually boosted with a drop or two of jasmin oil.

Kazrina
Oval light brown pods with a prickly surface. Sizes range from one-halv to two inches in diameter.

Lamb´s ears
Pale green and velvety, with no scent. The smaller leaves of this herb add a soft texture and color to blends of rose and heather.

Lavender
Tiny, but intensely fragrant purple blossoms. One of the few scents that will last for years without added oils, lavender has the clean, crisp smell we associate with freshly laundered linens. It is an invigorating scent that will dominate nearly any other in a potpourri. When purchasin lavender floweors, choose either the English or French - they have a brighter color and stronger scent than the Spanish.

Lemon marigold
Small, bright yellow blossoms with a light lemon scent. They add color and fragrance, and hold together well when dry.

Lemon peel
Yellow, very fragrant peel from common grocery-store lemons. Remove the peel with a potato peeler before squeezing the juice from the lemon for kitchen use. These form delicate curls as they dry.

Lemon verbena
Green leaves with a long lemon scent. This is the only plant that retains a true lemon fragrance when dried.

Marjoram
The variety used in potpourri is the barely-scented pot marjoram, also known as wild oregano. It is used primarily for its pink flowers, which dry to a rich rose color, although its leaves may also be used. Blossoms blend especially well in combinations of roses and artemisia.

Mint
Green, highly fragrant leaves. There are several varieties of mint, each with its own distinctive scent. Spearmint is perhaps the strongest member of the mint family, with a clean, fresh smell; orange mint has a definite orange tone; and its close relative, eau-de-cologne mint, has a flowery scent.

Myrrh
Brown and resinous, with an oriental scent. It is also a fixative for other fragrances, a boon to those who have allergic reactions to orris root. As one of the gifts of the Wise Men, it has a place in Christmas blends, as well.

Oakmoss
Gray, with an earthy fragrance. Use moss combines well with soft dusty pinks. It acts as a mild fixative for other scents.

Orange blossom
Creamy brown in color, with a rich honey scent. The blossoms give a heavy, intoxicating aura to potpourri if used in a large quantity.

Pearly everlasting
Small, round, soft blossoms in pure white. They grow in clusters that can be used whole or broken into individual flowers.

Peppermint
Dark green leaves with a cooling menthol fragrance. Peppermint helps freshen an overly sweet blend, but should be used sparingly to keep it from overpowering lighter fragrances.

Pinks (Dianthus) and Carnations
Both are shades of pink, with a slightly spicy fragrance. These are the flowers from which the large ornamental carnation developed. Carnations dry well, too, but retain almost no fragrance.

Roses
Pinks and reds, with a strong, lasting floral scent. Along with lavender, roses are the most common flower used in potpourri. Although hybrid, everblooming roses can be dried for their appearance, it is the June-blooming old-fashioned roses that have the best fragrance when dried. They can be picked as tight buds or left to form flowers before drying. The leaves retain their deep green color when dried and may also be added to potpourri.

Rosemary
Green, shaped like pine needels, with a distinctive herb smell. The strong fragrance blends well with flowers, especially roses.

Safflower
Bright orange threds with no scent. Although these have the color and look of Spanish saffron, they do not have the same flavor or scnet as the herb. They are used stricly for their color.

Sandalwood
Pungent wood chips with an oriental flair. It blends well with other woods or with frankincense and myrrh, as well as heavy floral scents such as jasmine and orange blossom

Star anise
A dark brown star-shaped spice with shiny seeds and a distinct anise scent. Used for its interesting shape and with rich spicy blends, especially thoseo with orange.

Tansy
Yellow clusters of small button flowers, with a very slight acrid scent. The leaves of tansy are dried for use in moth-repellent potpourri blends, but are a little too strong for floral mixes.

Thyme
Tiny green leaves with a distincly herbal scent. The same varieties of thyme used in the kitchen are also used in potpourri making. Their fragrance goes particularly well with roses and heather.

Tilia
Glossy, brown, star-shaped blossoms with a faint woody scent. They are used mostly for appearance.

Woodruff
Rich green, with a mild scent of new-mown hay. Woodruff is most commonly used as a fixative and to prevent musty odors. It is the best ingredient for a closet potpourri or for one to use in the bureau drawers of seasonal homes that are closed up for a portion of the year.

Yarrow
Flat yellow blossoms with no fragrance. The foliage has a sharp scent. The flowers are used for color, usually if broken into smaller segments. The variety of yarrow sold in natural food stores for cosmetic use is a different one; look for the yellow blossomed yarrow where ornamental dried flowers are sold.