Smelly bushes or trees. (flowers, lawn, grow, Butterfly Bush)
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My wife wants some smelly bushes vines or trees to plant around the chicken run so the chicken stink will not permeate our yard. My suggestion of keeping the chicken run cleaner went over like a wet blanket. (Realistically, there is no way to clean it enought to not smell, especially during the rainy/muddy times.) I have no idea what kind of plants will provide a strong smell all through the season. Anyone know of any?
I guess your wife doesn't want to face the work needed to keep the accumulating ammonia from what the chickens leave behind. Unfortunately, despite how she feels about it, that is the only way to keep the odor levels down and the chickens healthy. Consistent cleaning out and dumping into the compost bins is the best solution.
Any cover up would be a tall order as few plants/vines/shrubs have strong enough smells and most have distinct periods (seasons) of bloom and will not cover the odor all year long. I can't come up a tree with pleasant smelling blooms where the scent is strong and lasts longer than 2 weeks or sol. Among vines native honeysuckle (aka trumpet Honeysuckle) come to mind as a fairly easy care and somewhat perfumed choice. NOTE I said native, since the imported varieties are VERY invasive. Bignonia may survive your winters and are also somewhat strongly scented. The following is a list of native vines and their traits that includes these 2 vines and more. Native Vines of the Northeast and Great Lakes Region
The first kind of shrub that comes to mind would be roses since the bloom for much of the summer. Buddleia (aka Butterfly bush), viburnums and lilacs are also up there with strong scents. Here's a list someone has already put together with some description: Which Shrubs Smell Good? -
How about herbs? Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) multiplies quickly, smells like lemon pledge & you just cleaned up the place! Mints are also a cheap alternative in many flavors, chocolate, apple, peppermint, spearmint, pineapple, orange and my personal fave Cuban Mojito mint so you can sit back and have that cocktail and not worry about the chicken poop. You can only get the scent if they are crushed in some manner by you or the chickens or run over with the lawn mower. Clematis terniflora (sweet autumn clematis vine) has craploads of white fragrant flowers in late summer and will even cover chicken wire easily! Nepeta and Perovskia have strong scents too when bruised or brushed up against. I don't know of any one flowering plant is really going to give you a enough umph to cover stinky wet straw and poop all season long. It's time to get the shovel out!
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) is also an invasive species for a large part of the country.
Sorry to be annoying.
You got me,thanks. Not annoying at all. I should have checked more than one source to see if it was invasive or not in Michigan which is where I assumed the OP lived. I did a quick check here Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) and didn't see it listed. If I had checked a few other sources I would have seen that in half of them Buddleia is listed for it being possibly invasive in MI, which means it is marginal and not a good idea, and I would not have made it a choice.
That said, if I had had the room this spring I would have bought one of the new Buddleia that is supposed to be both small and not invasive (sets sterile seed) yet retains all the butterfly and hummer attractions as well as the scent. Proven Winners | Lo & Behold® 'Blue Chip' - Butterfly Bush - Buddleia hybrid It sold like hotcakes at a local plant sale.
I don't know that any plant can smell so much as to cover up chicken coop odor. Usually you have to be close to the plants to really begin to smell them. I was thinking lilac bushes and roses.
Butterfly Bush (Buddleia davidii) is also an invasive species for a large part of the country.
Sorry to be annoying.
No waay. Thanks for taking the heat off me. I feel like I'm always the one telling people not to plant invasives or use dangerous chemicals. I think sometimes ppl do not always realize a plant is a "naughty" plant. You are helping.
Of course we clean out the run. BTW we are talking about a run (outside) not the coop. The coop is easy to keep clean and pleasant. We muck out the run and remove as much as practical then put in a layer of wood shavings or straw. Still they seem to mange to turn it to muck in a very short time. We are also laying in gravel from time to time to improve drainage. At times it just plain reeks, especially when it has rained every day for a week or two.
Are butterfly bushes those shrubs that get ball like flowers made up of tiny blossoms of different colors? We had those in California. Hummingbirds loved them. Roses grow poorly in Michigan and do not bloom much. Maybe we will try herbs. If nthey do not work at least we will have fresh herbs for cooking.
Of course we clean out the run. BTW we are talking about a run (outside) not the coop. The coop is easy to keep clean and pleasant. We muck out the run and remove as much as practical then put in a layer of wood shavings or straw. Still they seem to mange to turn it to muck in a very short time. We are also laying in gravel from time to time to improve drainage. At times it just plain reeks, especially when it has rained every day for a week or two.
Are butterfly bushes those shrubs that get ball like flowers made up of tiny blossoms of different colors? We had those in California. Hummingbirds loved them. Roses grow poorly in Michigan and do not bloom much. Maybe we will try herbs. If nthey do not work at least we will have fresh herbs for cooking.
Thanks.
You have my sympathy on the smell. A lot of moisture would certainly make it more smelly.
What you are describing sounds like Lantana which come in various combinations of colors:
I'm not sure what has you convinced that roses don't grow in MI as I have seen some absolutely lovely rose gardens there. They don't do well with "wet feet" and need mostly sunny conditions. Maybe this will inspire you to try them again: https://www.msu.edu/~phill195/sp/rosehome.htm
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Not annoying at all. I should have checked more than one source to see if it was invasive or not in Michigan which is where I assumed the OP lived. I did a quick check here 
.
I think sometimes ppl do not always realize a plant is a "naughty" plant. You are helping.
