Jasmine plants are very fragrant, flowering plants that originated in China and the tropical areas of Asia. The buds of a jasmine plant are often more fragrant than the flowers. Jasmine plants have shiny, oval leaves and white, pink, or pale yellow tubular flowers. The Jasmine “polyanthum” variety is a twining, climbing plant with long, slender, trailing stems and is one of the easiest varieties to grow indoors. Another good indoor variety is Jasminum “sambac” or “Maid of New Orleans.” Under the right conditions, high humidity and very bright light, jasmine plants will bloom several times a year, filling your home with a beautiful scent.
J.polyanthum J.Night Blooming J. Confederate J. Arabian Sambac
Plant Care
Light
A jasmine plant likes bright indirect light throughout the year, and in the winter benefits from a few hours of direct sun. However, avoid putting a jasmine plant in the direct sun during the summer, the intensity of the sun will burn the leaves. Try moving your jasmine plant outside for the summer, the plant will love it.
Water
Jasmine plants loses leaves and leaves dry up from both too much and too little water. In the spring and summer, keep the soil moist but never soggy. The top 30% of the soil should dry out before watering. Soil that stays too wet, too long, damages the roots of the plant and eventually prevents the roots from absorbing water at all. When you do water, water well enough so that the water comes out the drip holes in the bottom of the pot. Do not allow the plant to sit in this excess water. During the fall and winter, keep a jasmine plant on the drier side.
Fertilizer
Feed a jasmine plant every 2-4 weeks from March-August when the plant is actively growing. Do not feed during the fall and winter when the plant is dormant. Jasmine plants prefer a water soluble plant food high in phosphorous and low in nitrogen. This type of fertilizer helps produce more flowers.
Temperature
Jasmine plants do well in cool rooms where the temperature is 65°-70°F (18.3°-21.1°C) and the light is very bright. If the room is too warm, a jasmine plant grows but doesn’t produce any flowers. These plants, like most houseplants, do poorly when placed near heaters, hot air vents, and fireplaces.
Humidity
These plants thrive in high humidity. You can place a jasmine plant on a wet pebble tray (be sure the plant is sitting on the pebbles and not in the water), put a small humidifier near the plant, or group your plants together to increase the humidity.
Flowering
Like poinsettias and Christmas cactus, jasmine plants need cool temperatures and short days to set their fragrant flower buds. In the late fall, temperatures at night should be 45°-55°. During the day, keep the plants in very bright light. At night, try to keep the plant in total darkness. An indoor jasmine plant usually flowers in January and February.
Pests
Jasmine plants attract aphids, mealy bugs, scale, and spider mites.
Diseases
Since these plants like high humidity and moist soil, fungal diseases can be a problem. Keeping a jasmine plant in very bright light helps prevent some of these diseases, as does good air circulation and dry leaves.
Soil
Jasmine plants grow well in a basic houseplant soil that drains well but still retains water. Twice a year add some lime, as a supplement, to the soil.
Pot Size
The plant produces more flowers when it is root-bound. If the soil is drying out in just 2-3 days, it may be time to move your plant to the next size pot.
Pruning
Prune a jasmine plant after it has finished blooming to maintain its size and shape. Never prune after the beginning of August since this is when a jasmine plant starts to set its flower buds.
Propagation
Propagate a jasmine plant from stem cuttings in the spring. Rea more about propagation techniques in the Glossary of the website.
Poisonous Plant Info
The flowers of a true jasmine plant (Oleaceae) are nontoxic. The flowers of the false jasmine plant (Loganiaceae) such as Yellow Jasmine or Carolina Jasmine are very poisonous. If you are unsure whether you have a true or false jasmine plant always err on the side of caution and keep the plant away from children and animals.
FAQ
Jasmine Plants need more than bright light in order to bloom. Starting in October and for the next 6-8 weeks, keep your Jasmine Plant in total darkness from sunset to sunrise. The temperature where you keep your Jasmine Plant during this time should be between 40-50 degrees. These conditions help set the buds on a Jasmine Plant.
The ideal time to prune a Jasmine Plant is right after it has finished blooming in the winter. You can continue to prune a Jasmine Plant until August when all pruning should stop. The more you prune a Jasmine Plant, the bushier it becomes.
The discoloration and marks on the leaves of your Jasmine Plant is because you are keeping the soil too wet. The soil of a Jasmine Plant should be moist but not soggy. Always allow the top 1/2 to 1 inch of soil to dry out before watering a Jasmine Plant.
There could be two reasons why the leaves of your Jasmine Plant are drooping. Jasmine Plant leaves droop if the plant is getting too much direct sun. This can easily occur if a Jasmine Plant sits in a window with a western exposure during the summer. Try moving your Jasmine Plant to an area where it will get bright but no direct sunlight. The second reason for droppy leaves on a Jasmine Plant is more serious. You may have over- watered your Jasmine Plant and killed the roots.