Jasmine: Planting, Care, and Pruning

Description and botany

Jasmine is a woody climber with deciduous or evergreen foliage belonging to the Oleaceae family. The Jasminum genus includes over 200 species, native to Egypt, Africa and Asia, particularly China. In its natural habitat, jasmine grows in woodlands, forest edges and rocky slopes.

Most jasmines are easy to grow in the ground, in regions where temperatures don’t drop below -10°C for short periods. The most common species in our gardens are the hardiest (-10° to -12°C).

The most frequently encountered are common jasmine (Jasminum officinalis, white jasmine) which, along with star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), is one of the most fragrant. Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) with its unscented yellow flowers is the hardiest of the genus, sometimes confused with forsythia in late winter. Star jasmine or false jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) and its many cultivars are very popular, though not actually a true jasmine but rather a woody, twining Chinese cousin with fragrant white flowers very similar to true jasmine (it belongs to the periwinkle family rather than the jasmine family).

There are shrubby or bushy jasmines (most commonly J. fruticans, J. humile) without tendrils, and climbing or perennial vines (winter jasmine, common jasmine) which twine around any support – these are much better known to gardeners. Some jasmines are more rambling than truly climbing.

Jasminum officinale – Botanical illustration

Depending on the species, the growth habit is more bushy than climbing and size varies.

Some (Jasmin officinal), trained on a trellis or against a wall, can climb up to 10m in all directions over time under favourable conditions. Growth is fairly rapid.

If left to grow unrestrained, they spread along the ground forming a somewhat untidy bush no more than 1.5m tall and wide. There are dwarf species often used as ground cover like J. parkeri and the ‘Ogon Nishiki’ selection which slowly form small cushions 20cm to 80cm tall.

Once established, jasmine can live for many years.

Its long twining or rambling stems form a tangle of slender branches bearing both luxuriant and delicate foliage. Jasmine foliage is evergreen, semi-evergreen or deciduous below -5/-6°C depending on variety and climate – the colder the climate, the more leaves it will lose. It is therefore most often deciduous in our climates. Sometimes, due to cold or intense drought, leaves may redden, fall then reappear when conditions improve.

The leaves, 1 to 20cm long, simple, pinnate, opposite or alternate are composed of 3 to 13 oval to lanceolate leaflets, sometimes pointed at the tip with sometimes wavy edges, reduced to a single leaflet in some species. They are thick and leathery and glossy depending on variety.

Light green, deep green, bright green, golden yellow (Jasminum officinale ‘Aureum’), they may be variegated with creamy white in False jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Variegatum’). Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Ogon-Nishiki’ stands out with very beautiful multicoloured foliage variegated green, cream and red, turning lovely orange, yellow and bronze tones in cold weather.

Various foliage types, some highly decorative: Jasminum grandiflorum, Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘Variegatum’, Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Ogon Nishiki’, Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Theta’, Jasminum officinale ‘Aureum’.

Graphic and elegant, this foliage develops with lightness, providing the perfect setting for the flowers.

Jasmine captivates with its generous, graceful and intoxicatingly fragrant flowering. Jasmine blooms in all seasons. We distinguish winter jasmines (Jasminum nudiflorum, Jasminum polyanthum) which flower from December to April and summer jasmines (Common jasmine, Star jasmine) which bloom from May to September.

It flowers abundantly with a multitude of small star-shaped flowers with 5 sometimes twisted petals, more or less narrow, arranged in a spiral. They bloom in numerous small clusters of 3 to 5 flowers 1 to 5cm in diameter, at leaf axils or branch tips, sometimes umbel-like or paniculate.

While these little stars are often pure white, Jasminum beesianum (the “red jasmine” or “pink jasmine”) bears carmine red flowers, Jasminum officinale ‘Clotted Cream’ has large cream-yellow stars, Jasminum stephanense produces masses of small pale pink flowers, Jasminum polyanthum has porcelain pink blooms, while they are yellow in winter jasmine (J. nudiflorum) and star jasmine ‘Star of Toscane’.

Various flower colours: Jasminum nudiflorum, Jasminum officinale, Jasminum stephanense, Trachelospermum jasminoides.

If there’s one flower famous for its divinely heady fragrance, it’s jasmine! However, fragrance intensity varies between species. While Jasminum grandiflorum or “Jasmine of Grasse” emits an intense, highly floral scent forming the heart of prestigious French perfumes (a certain No.5…), some jasmines like Jasminum nudiflorum are unscented. Apart from the latter, all release a fruity, green fragrance underscored by white floral notes.

Others like J. officinale can be smelled from 2 metres away, while false jasmine has a vanilla scent, sweeter than floral, reminiscent of biscuits. It takes about seven million flowers to produce one kilogram of jasmine absolute.

The delicate fragrances become more powerful at nightfall or in warm weather: they then perfume the garden or terrace on summer evenings from several metres away.

Honey-producing, they attract many pollinating insects in season.

Some jasmines produce black berries after flowering. Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) forms curious fruits resembling small curved green beans, a rare fruiting, it must be said, in our latitudes.

Jasminum nudiflorum

Most jasmines are quite tender, rarely tolerating temperatures below -5°C/-8°C. They are easy to grow in the ground in regions with very mild winters. Some however like winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) or (Jasminum humile) are perfectly hardy throughout France and withstand winters down to -12/-15°C without problems.

In cold regions, jasmine should be grown on terraces or balconies in large pots to be stored in winter in an unheated conservatory.

Jasmine appreciates warm, sheltered positions. It grows in sun but tolerates partial shade, especially in southern France, in deep, humus-rich, well-drained soil.

In mild climates where frost is very rare, it will find its place in the garden if given support to develop more easily. It will climb over shrubs, pergolas, trellises, arbours, cover fences and even weave through evergreen hedges.

Untrained, it can also form a magnificent ground cover.

Since the mid-17th century, Jasmine has been the floral star of Grasse, traditionally the birthplace of jasmine cultivation for perfumery, particularly Jasmin Grandiflorum or “Jasmine of Grasse”. An International Perfume Museum is even dedicated to it.

Dried jasmine flowers are also highly prized for flavouring green tea.

Main species and varieties

Most Popular

Our Favourites

Jasminum officinale - Common jasmine

The hardiest of all jasmines and one of the easiest to grow in well-drained, ordinary soil. Its long stems twine around any available support.

• Flowering time August to October
• Height at maturity 5 m

See the product sheet

Jasminum nudiflorum - Winter jasmine

A winter-flowering jasmine with yellow blooms. A beautiful climber to brighten winter days. Hardy, it can remain outdoors in winter. This jasmine is not fragrant.

• Height at maturity 2,50 m

See the product sheet

Jasminum beesianum - Red jasmine

Unlike its white-flowered cousins, this jasmine bears small, fragrant carmine-red flowers. This pink jasmine is vigorous and hardy down to -12°C.

• Flowering time June to August
• Height at maturity 3 m

See the product sheet

Jasminum officinale Clotted Cream - Common jasmine

A new variety with large, creamy-yellow flowers, powerfully fragrant and blooming almost non-stop all summer! It climbs trellises, arches, arbours, stair railings, or balconies—perfect for containers on a terrace too.

• Flowering time August to October
• Height at maturity 2,50 m

See the product sheet

Jasminum polyanthum - Pink Jasmine

Fast-growing, it charms with abundant, highly fragrant, small porcelain-pink flowers from late winter. Best grown in containers except in mild climates.

• Flowering time March to May
• Height at maturity 3 m

See the product sheet

Trachelospermum jasminoides - Star Jasmine

Climbing or trailing, this plant can be used like ivy. Hardy in sheltered spots even in northern regions, star jasmine also thrives in large containers.

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 6 m

See the product sheet

Jasminum azoricum - Lemon-Scented Jasmine

Azores jasmine, hardy to -6°C, is often grown in greenhouses. Its long, twining stems wrap around any available support.

• Flowering time August to October
• Height at maturity 4 m

See the product sheet

Jasminum x stephanense

A natural hybrid between common jasmine and <em>J. beesianum</em>, bearing lightly fragrant, soft pink flowers.

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 3,50 m

See the product sheet

Stephanotis floribunda - seeds

A perennial indoor climbing plant. This sparsely branched, twining vine can reach 6m in length, offering a long flowering season from spring to autumn.

• Flowering time April to November
• Height at maturity 6 m

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Jasminum officinale Aureum - Common jasmine

A standout variety for both its pure white, highly fragrant flowers and golden-yellow foliage. In a container on a terrace, it will release its scent on summer evenings!

• Flowering time July to October
• Height at maturity 4 m

See the product sheet

 

Trachelospermum asiaticum Ogon-Nishiki - Asian Jasmine

This variety stands out for its striking multicoloured foliage, variegated in green, cream, and red, turning orange, yellow, and bronze in autumn. Best planted in partial shade, in a container on a terrace for winter protection or in the ground in milder climates.

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 80 cm

See the product sheet

Trachelospermum asiaticum - Asian Jasmine

A rare climber used to flower and scent a pergola or as ground cover with evergreen foliage turning purple in winter. It can easily be moved to an unheated conservatory to enjoy its winter foliage.

• Flowering time July to September
• Height at maturity 4 m

See the product sheet

Jasminum multipartitum - Starry Wild Jasmine

This little-known South African jasmine is a semi-climbing plant, not very hardy but highly ornamental. Planting in the ground is only possible in very mild climates, but it adapts well to container growing.

• Flowering time June to September
• Height at maturity 1,50 m

See the product sheet

Planting

Where to Plant Jasmine

The hardiness of jasmine varies by species: we distinguish between jasmines that can withstand temperatures as low as -15°C for short periods (J. beesianum, J. humile, J. nudiflorum, which even blooms under snow, and J. officinale), which can be grown in the ground without issue; those best suited to mild climates (down to 5°C) (Jasminum azoricum); and jasmines that are strictly indoor plants.

Most jasmines are therefore quite tender or moderately hardy and rarely tolerate severe frost. They are easy to grow in regions with mild winters, as elsewhere their hardiness is often put to the test.

In regions with harsh winters, jasmine should be grown in a large pot placed in a sheltered spot on the terrace and moved indoors or into a cold greenhouse during winter to protect it from heavy frost.

When temperatures drop below -5°C, the foliage becomes deciduous. Even in the hardiest varieties, young shoots and flower buds are sensitive to severe frost and turn black below -10°C. But if the root system is well-established, jasmine is capable of regrowing in spring, producing new shoots.

→ Learn more in our guide: Which Jasmine to Plant Depending on Your Region?

Jasmine thrives in well-drained soil and a very sunny position, sheltered from cold winds. Jasmine flowers prefer partial shade in hot climates. In colder regions, plant it against a south-facing wall.

While it grows easily in good garden soil that remains moist in summer, it has a preference for rich, deep soils, which ensure optimal growth. Flowering is remarkably long in cool soil: in summer, it appreciates soil that stays sufficiently moist with a good mulch layer.

Once established, it shows good resistance to summer drought. Some species, like winter jasmine, can tolerate poor, stony, or slightly alkaline soil, as long as it is always perfectly drained. In waterlogged soil, jasmine struggles and eventually dies.

This vigorous climbing shrub requires an airy location: its mature spread can eventually cover over 8m in all directions. When trained, it can reach several metres in height.

The vines will twine around any support (wire fencing, trellis), while more sprawling jasmines can be trained against a wall or trellis.

Jasmine needs a support suited to its size to spread properly. With its twining or sprawling stems, it climbs or clings to many supports: pergolas, arches, arbours, walls, even up small trees, or it can scramble over a wire fence. Left untrained, it will sprawl along the ground and form a fragrant, floriferous ground cover in a sunny rockery.

It fits well in a scented garden, to fill out an evergreen hedge (in winter, its bare stems blend into the foliage, while in summer it forms a flowering, fragrant bush) or in a large pot on a balcony or terrace to best enjoy its intoxicating fragrance.

Its foliage is semi-evergreen in mild winters: a notable advantage when wanting to hide an unsightly wall. It’s also perfect for draping over the edge of a staircase or crowning a slope. Plant it in high-traffic areas to fully appreciate its unique scent.

Flowers of Jasminum multipartitum.

When to Plant Jasmine

Jasmine is best planted in spring, from March to April or May when temperatures rise in cooler regions (always after the last frost), or from September to November in dry, warm climates.

How to Plant Jasmine

In the ground

Space plants 1.5 to 2m apart. Given this vine’s spread, one plant per square metre will cover around 5 to 8m² within a few years. Mix different jasmine species to extend the flowering season and enjoy blooms almost year-round.

• Dig a hole two to three times wider than the root ball
• Spread a layer of gravel or clay pebbles to ensure good drainage and prevent waterlogging around the roots in winter
• Mix organic fertiliser or compost into the excavated soil
• Place the pot slightly tilted towards its support
• Backfill with the same mixture
• Firm lightly and water thoroughly
• Plant perennials around the base to retain summer moisture or apply a mulch
• Train the branches onto the support

Growing Jasmine in a Pot

Jasmine thrives even in pots. The substrate must be very free-draining to avoid waterlogging around the roots.

• In a large pot at least 50cm in diameter, add a thick drainage layer (gravel or clay pebbles)
• Plant your jasmine in a mix of 50% potting compost or Mediterranean plant soil
• Attach the stems to the support
• Water after planting, then every three to four days during growth
• Move the pot to a sheltered, bright spot in winter, such as a conservatory or temperate greenhouse around 16°C

Jasmine grows very well in pots.

→ Learn more about growing jasmine in pots

Which Support to Choose for Jasmine?

Jasmine needs a support to climb, as its stems aren’t rigid enough to bear its weight. Some ‘twining’ species (Jasminum azoricum) cling naturally to any support using tendrils, so they don’t need tying—just guide the stems initially, and the plant will manage on its own.

Most jasmines lack tendrils, so they need training. Supports vary: jasmine can lean against a wall, cascade from a stone wall, twine around a tree, climb a wire fence, or cling to a trellis, arbour, stair rail, pergola, or even form a living tunnel between two garden areas using arches connected by wires.

→ Learn more about training in How to Train a Star Jasmine?

Depending on the species, jasmines can be trained against a wall or cascade from a stone wall, for example.

Maintenance, Pruning and Care

Once well established, jasmine requires little care, though it is quite thirsty in summer and needs fertile soil: water and fertiliser improve its flowering.

At the start, help its stems to climb. Train new shoots as they develop.

From early spring until mid-September, apply a liquid fertiliser low in nitrogen (rose fertiliser) diluted in watering water, every two weeks.

During growth and in summer, as soon as the plant is in bud, water every three to four days, when the soil is dry but without excess. In winter, every eight to ten days, allowing the soil to dry out well between waterings. Also mulch in summer, to keep the base cool if you haven’t planted ground cover plants.

In case of forecast severe cold and during the first years of cultivation, protect the aerial parts of the plant with horticultural fleece. To protect it from frost, mulch the base for the first few winters, and in regions where winters are harsh. If the base freezes, jasmine is capable of recovering, regrowing from the base.

In cold regions, bring potted jasmine indoors before the first frosts, sheltered from the cold in a bright, frost-free room. Indoors, ensure high humidity as the foliage and flowers wilt quickly if the air is too dry: regularly mist the foliage with non-calcareous water. Repot every two or three years in spring or autumn.

Pruning jasmine

Pruning jasmine is recommended and should be limited to light pruning, always after each flowering, to control its spread and remove weak, damaged or dead branches. It doesn’t mind being regularly trimmed and this will keep it bushy and dense with generous flowering.

Every 2 or 3 years, after flowering, to maintain a compact shape, cut back spent stems to the level of large buds or above young shoots emerging from the base.

For mature jasmine, over 3 years old, cut back to the base, between a fifth and a quarter of the stems to encourage the formation of young stems. More vigorous, they will bear more flowers.

→ Also read our tutorial: How to prune jasmine?

Jasminum mesnyi trained as a standard.

→ Learn more about winter jasmine care in our advice sheet!

Diseases and potential pests

Jasmine has few known enemies apart from scale insects and aphids.

Young shoots may be attacked by mealybugs, recognisable by the cottony, sticky clusters they leave on the leaves. These small sap-sucking insects slow growth and discolour the foliage. Remove the pests with a cotton pad soaked in 90°C alcohol, then treat with sprays of rapeseed oil and soap. Repeat two or three times at 15-day intervals.

The presence of aphids is visible through sticky leaves that curl and twist in on themselves. Spray with water mixed with black soap or Marseille soap.

→ Learn more about jasmine diseases and pests in our advice sheet.

Propagation

Jasmine propagates easily from cuttings or by layering.

How to take jasmine cuttings?

• After flowering, in summer, take semi-hardwood cuttings 15 cm long (These are stems that grew in spring and begin transitioning from softwood to hardwood around July-August)
• Remove the lower leaves, keeping those at the top of the stem
• Plant them in a light, well-draining substrate of sand and peat
• Regularly mist the substrate to keep it moist
• Place the pot in a sheltered, frost-free spot in partial shade
• Plant out in the ground the following spring

By layering

• In late autumn, select a low-growing shoot and bend it towards the ground
• Remove the lower leaves
• Make a 3-5 cm long shallow cut in the bark at the tip of the shoot
• Bury this section to encourage rooting, covering with compost and sand
• Secure the layered shoot to the soil with a peg (like a tent peg)
• Stake the aerial part if needed
• One year later, the following autumn, you can separate the new plant from the parent – it will have developed sufficient roots: cut the stem where it enters the soil
• Replant this new plant directly in the ground

→ Learn more about propagating winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) in our tutorial!

Pairing

Jasmine brings a dual appeal of blooms and fragrance to all your walls and fences. Graceful and delicate, it thrives in gardens of varied styles, lending them elegance and poetry. It is a must-have for scented gardens and white gardens.

Jasminum azoricum will colonise any support and beautifully adorn a wall.

White jasmines (star jasmine, J. officinale) add a pure note against a graphic backdrop of ‘Pingwu’ bamboos with bright green culms sheathed in white, or a decidedly romantic touch with climbing hydrangeas like Hydrangea petiolaris.

They feature in fragrant, fresh, and romantic white/pink combinations with roses and other beautiful climbers.

Jasmine thrives as a standalone and will elegantly and fragrantly adorn any support provided.

In mild climates, it can be grown against a wall where it will often flower more abundantly, twining around small trees alongside a climbing rose or evergreen honeysuckle, or cascading from the top of a low wall. It can also cover a slope and form excellent ground cover (‘Ogon Nishiki’), with creeping ceanothus, even in the shade of deciduous trees, as an alternative to ivy.

In an evergreen hedge, jasmine will be discreet in winter, hidden by the foliage of companion plants, while in summer it will enhance the whole with a multitude of small, star-shaped, fragrant flowers.

An example of an evergreen hedge combination: Jasminum polyanthum, Ceanothus arboreus ‘Concha’, Photinia fraseri ‘Red Robin’.

It pairs easily with other climbers to add depth, provide fragrant continuity, and extend the flowering season: its stems will intertwine with those of clematis (‘Alba Plena’, ‘Bicolor’ or ‘Cassis’) in spring or winter (Clematis cirrhosa), honeysuckles, or climbing Solanum.

In the ground or in pots on the terrace, it pairs well with another climber that flowers at a different time, like Ampelaster carolinianus, a climbing aster that blooms in late autumn and winter.

Mix jasmines together, combining colours, varieties, and types: you’ll extend the flowering period! At their base, Mexican orange blossoms and shrubby lavateras will naturally find their place.

The bright yellow flowers of Jasminum nudiflorum will serve as a backdrop for hellebores, winter irises, snowdrops, and will also pair well with evergreen climbers like ivy or shrubs that retain their berries in winter, such as firethorn (Pyracantha) and Cotoneaster horizontalis.

An example of a combination: Laburnum watereri ‘Vossii’, Syringa patula ‘Miss Kim’, Jasminum nudiflorum.

Pink jasmines (Jasminum stephanense, Beesianum) will shine alongside a rambling rose, a trumpet vine (Campsis radicans ‘Flamenco’), or a clematis ‘Madame Edouard André’.

In large containers, you can pair them with hardy geraniums or asters with exuberant and generous blooms.

→ Discover 7 pairing ideas with star jasmine and our ideas for pairing winter jasmine