How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Jasmine

Jasmine blooms in summer and is known for its exotic fragrance on warm evenings. It is a vine that can be grown as a shrub with pretty star-shaped flowers. Kevin Espiritu will show you exactly how to grow one with our guide.

Written by Kevin Espiritu Horticulture review by Sarah Jay Last updated: December 20, 2024 | 8 min read

A close-up shot of a developing plant with its white flowers commonly known as the Jasmine

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Blooming in summertime, the jasmine is known for its exotic fragrance on warm evenings. This scent is used in perfumes, and the fragrant flowers are widely popular, too – varieties are the national flowers of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Pakistan.

Not all jasmines are aromatic, though many popular varieties are. Some prefer warmer climates and bloom in the heat, and others are everblooming and make great houseplants. While many are cared for as a sprawling shrub or jasmine tree, there are vining varieties and ground covers. There are even some which aren’t true jasmines.

Are you considering trying to grow jasmine shrubs? Confused about what’s actually jasmine and what isn’t? Then read on, and we’ll explore the species in detail!

Plant Overview

An overhead shot of a shrub with white flowers and green leaves all situated in a well lit area


Plant Type Vine Family Oleaceae Genus Jasminum Species Jasminum spp	Native Area Africa, South Asia, Australia Exposure Full sun to partial shade Height 1-6 Watering Requirements Regular	Pests & Diseases Root-knot nematodes, whiteflies, mealybugs, blight, rust, fusarium wilt Maintenance Low Soil Type Well-draining, fertile Hardiness Zone 7-10

What is Jasmine?

Jasmines are members of the Jasminum genus, which is classed in the olive family, Oleaceae. Most jasmine climbers are cultivated for their fragrant flowers.

Native Area

A shot of a flowering plant and its white flowers in a well lit area outdoors — The plant is native to the tropical regions of Africa, Eurasia, and Oceania.

This genus contains over 200 varieties native to tropical regions of Africa, Eurasia, and Oceania. The native region covers most of the southern hemisphere, except South America. Botanists credit the original cultivation of jasmine to the people of Persia, in the world contemporarily known as Iran. It was brought to Egypt around 1000 BC and shortly thereafter introduced in other areas of the Mediterranean, where it’s now naturalized.

Characteristics

A close-up shot of a developing flowering shrub, showcasing its green leaves and white flowers in a well lit area outdoors — Different varieties have changing growth habits but all produce flower clusters ranging from white to yellow.

Some species are evergreen, and others are deciduous. Among species, there are varying growth habits of vines and shrubs. Their leaves are opposite or alternating on their stems, and flowers bloom in clusters of three or singly. The one-inch flower colors range from white to yellow and sometimes red.

Jasmine oils and teas are prized the world over, and the floral scent is common in personal care products. Its flavors are used in tons of culinary confections, and the plant is also used in medicine.

Varieties

Out of the 200 varieties of jasmine, we’ll look at a few of the popular ones.

Jasminum officinale

Several delicate white common flowers bloom gracefully, emanating a sweet fragrance. Their pristine petals contrast beautifully against the lush green backdrop of surrounding leaves, creating a serene and picturesque scene. — A semi-evergreen deciduous climber, it produces white flowers that are star-shaped.

This semi-evergreen white-flowered deciduous climber represents the state flower of Pakistan and bears the names common jasmine, summer jasmine, or poet’s jasmine. The star-shaped five-petaled flowers of common jasmine accompany its sharply pointed, slightly fuzzy leaves. It blooms in summer, though growers can encourage common jasmine to flower at other times in climate-controlled greenhouses. Harvesters collect white flowers for essential oils due to their aromatic nature.

Jasminum grandiflorum

Jasminum officinale forma grandiflorum, or Jasminum grandiflorum, is a subset of the officinale variety. It is commonly known as Spanish jasmine or royal jasmine. Mostly, it is raised for aromatics, and for the perfuming and food industries. Grown as a bush or shrub, that can also be trained to climb.

Jasminum nudiflorum

Arching, green stems produce a cascade of small, bright yellow flowers in winter. — This variety produces bright yellow flowers on its vines.

Winter jasmine flowers earlier in the year than other varieties, in late winter or early spring. It produces brilliant yellow flowers on vines, and winter jasmine is best trained to a trellis or used as a mounding ground cover.

Jasminum sambac

Pure white Arabian Jasmine flowers with layered petals against glossy green leaves, arranged in a compact cluster. — The plant has glossy leaves and multilayered white flowers.

Arabian jasmine flourishes in warm environments and is classified as an exotic invasive in Florida. It sprawls, and while it typically grows four to six feet tall and wide, it can reach ten feet. Arabian jasmine bushes out as a shrub, but it can be trained as an evergreen vine. It has glossy leaves and attractive, multilayered white flowers. It’s used to make leis in Hawaii and is the national flower of the Philippines and Indonesia. It’s also used in teas.

Jasminum parkeri

Dwarf jasmines are popular as potted houseplants or in topiaries. They are evergreen shrubs about a foot tall and with small stems, and they sprawl a few feet across. They produce clumps of five-petaled yellow flowers. However, they do not produce as strong an aroma as Jasminum officinale or sambac.

Chrysojasminum fruticans

A close-up shot of a stem of a flowering plant, showcasing its yellow flowers and vibrant green leaves — It produces prolific yellow flowers on bright green leaves.

This jasmine loves a Mediterranean climate, and produces prolific yellow flowers on vibrant green foliage from spring through the fall. It grows about four feet tall and wide, but when trained as a vine requires support. Wild jasmine is odorless. It was first documented by the Padova Botanic Garden in Venice, Italy in 1545!

For a similar look with more of a scent, try the east Asian and southern US adapted Jasminum mesnyi, also known as primrose jasmine.

Jasminum dichotomum

This woody jasmine vine originated in Africa. It produces pink buds that bloom into six-petaled white flowers year-round in warm climates and has shiny dark green leaves. However, it’s an invasive plant in many regions. It is commonly called Gold Coast jasmine.

Jasminum polyanthum

This varietal, pink jasmine, is popular as a houseplant because it grows long, trailing vines. If supported by a trellis, it reaches a height of six feet. Its copious pink buds appear in spring and bloom into five-petaled star-like white flowers. It blooms year-round in warmer climates or indoors.

False Jasmines

Cestrum nocturnum displays lance-shaped leaves and clusters of small, tubular, greenish-white flowers. — Some plants look similar to it but they are not related.

Multiple other plants are commonly called jasmine but aren’t related. Here are some of those!

Cestrum nocturnum is also called night-blooming jasmine or lady of the night, and is a member of the potato family. The flowers they produce have a sweet aroma, but people with respiratory issues or asthma often have problems with this variety. It’s often considered to be a poisonous and invasive plant as well. But its tubular white flowers with a star-shaped blossom at the end can be mistaken for vining jasmine. Still, for all of its dangers, it is beautiful!

Found in southern California or other warm areas of the United States, this namesake of a true jasmine called star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is actually a different shrubby vine. Its growth, creamy-white flowers, and sweet fragrance all seem to emulate true jasmine. While it survives in the southern US (where it’s sometimes referred to as Confederate jasmine), it is an annual in most regions. Bring the plant indoors in cold weather. Check the botanical name to make sure that you’re getting the right plant.

Gardenia jasminoides, or Cape jasmine, has white flowers and shiny dark green foliage, but that’s where its similarity to jasmine ends. It also has a scent, but it’s more similar to gardenia than jasmine. It also has different growth patterns and care needs.

Planting

A shot of a plant and its white flowers on a pot filled with soil in a well lit area outdoors — The plants can be grown indoors and outdoors.

Most species like warmer climates. You can grow jasmine year-round in zones 9-11. Some species, like Jasminum officinale, are winter-hardy to zone 7 with protection. This one you can use indoors as a houseplant. Plant jasmine after the last frost passes, or start growing jasmine indoors a few weeks before.

Jasmine prefers a warm, sheltered place, but vining varieties grow tall. These make beautiful arbor or trellis subjects if trained early. If you’re growing jasmine indoors, select a warmer portion of your home with regular sunlight. They also prefer humid environments. In the planting process, plant it at the same level it was in the nursery pot.

How to Grow

Overall, growing jasmine can be relatively simple, but there are some things to be mindful of in the course of your jasmine plant care process.

Light

Most jasmine varieties prefer full sun to light shade. They do not like full-shade locations as those are too cool for adequate growth. Place where they receive at least four to six hours of morning light per day to encourage healthy growth and prolific flowering.

If grown indoors, a south- or west-facing window is usually best, while outdoor jasmine benefits from a spot that is well-lit but sheltered from the harsh midday sun, which can scorch its delicate leaves. Insufficient light may result in reduced flowering and leggy growth, so ensure the plant is adequately illuminated.

Water

Jasmine prefers regular watering, and most cultivars require humidity to bloom properly. Indoors, ensure your soil is slightly moister than if it were outdoors, as the evaporation of the water aids blooming. However, make sure you’re not growing in soggy soil! Overwatering can create conditions where diseases thrive. 50% humidity is ideal.

Soil

Jasmine prefers well-drained soil. Different cultivars like it a bit sandier than others. Clay soils are not recommended for growing without serious amendment to lighten the soil content. In winter for zones 9-11, mulch to help keep the roots and base of the plant warm. If it’s grafted, mulch for root warmth, but leave an indentation in the mulch right around the graft joint so that it is not covered.

Temperature

A base-angle shot of blooming buds of a flowering plant in a well lit area outdoors — They develop best in hardiness zone 7 through 10.

In temperatures below 60°F (16°C), bring your vine in or shelter it with a frost cloth. Outdoors, grow in zones 7 through 10 will involve die back in winter. Due to their perennial nature, they should return in early spring.

Fertilizer

Jasmine is a heavy feeder, so be prepared to fertilize regularly. If you want to grow rapidly, offer a higher nitrogen fertilizer, which helps when trying to establish a vine-covered arbor or a larger shrub. They like lots of phosphorous to encourage blossom development. Use a standard balanced fertilizer if you don’t have one ideally suited to Jasminum species.

Maintenance

A shot of a person holding a hand pruner with green handles in the process of trimming plants in a well lti area outdoors — Prune the plants aggressively because they grow rapidly.

You may need to prune aggressively during warm weather when the plants have an explosion of growth. Regularly train vining varieties on their supports and secure the weaker vines. Pinch off excess vines, and trim vines to promote forking. With a shrub, prune to maintain the size/shape of the shrub. Don’t prune too much that the plant doesn’t have enough surface area for photosynthesis.

If you are growing this as a hedge plant, focus initially on trying to promote bushy growth. When it has reached the size you want, regularly pinch or trim excess growth to maintain it.

Propagation

A shot of a person holding a stem cutting of a plant with the same plant in the background that is placed on top of a wooden surface beside a pruner in a well lit area — The plant can be propagated by seeds or laryering techniques.

While some varieties do set seed, most seed is unreliable and is not guaranteed to germinate. It is easiest to propagate is by taking stem cuttings about four to six inches in length, applying a coating of root hormone to the cut end, and then placing them into a container of potting soil. Some nurseries also offer grafted plants where another Jasminum subspecies is grafted onto an officinale root base.

Mound layering is another viable way to propagate. Find a node on your vine or bush close to the ground. Use a pruning knife to cut into the node slightly, and pin the marred branch to the earth with some soil and a rock. When new growth appears on the pinned section, cut it off the parent plant, and pot it up, or leave it to spread.

Common Problems

When you’re growing this vine, you’ll encounter few pests or diseases. Here are the most common and how to handle them.

Growing Problems

Close-up of a flowering Jasminum polyanthum plant in a decorative white flowerpot against a white wall, illuminated by sunlight. Jasminum is a climber with long climbing stems with large, oval, elongated, dark green, leathery leaves and small, white, tubular flowers. The plant winds itself along a semi-circular wire support stuck into a pot of soil. — Under watering, dry environments and inconsistent pruning can result in growth issues.

If you planted an invasive species, you may find it sprawling all over your garden, choking out other plants. To prevent this, deadhead jasmine flowers just after they fade, and prune aggressively. Remove any suckers from the base of the plant.

If you planted your jasmine in a dry environment, it will not bloom. You can ensure lovely fragrant blooms by planting in moisture retentive soil, or by providing a pebble tray with water. A plant humidifier placed next to indoor jasmines also works.

Pests

Whiteflies on underside of green leaf. — There are a number of insect pests that plague this plant.

The most common pests for jasmine species are root knot nematodes, mealybugs, and whiteflies. Of these, the nematodes are the most problematic as they’re the hardest to eradicate, but application of beneficial nematodes to your plant’s soil should aid in this process. An application of neem oil will handle most other insect issues.

However, if pollinators are plentiful in your garden, avoid spraying neem outside dawn and dusk, when pollinators are most active. Apply a light mist over your plants. Even then, you could still damage pollinators. A more clandestine stream of water treatment, or more targeted spot removal may be better if you host pollen-lovers.

Diseases

Orange, powdery pustules on the leaf, with yellowish discoloration surrounding them. — Rust and fusarium wilt are the common diseases of the plant.

The most common diseases for jasmine are blight, rust, and fusarium wilt. Preventing these is far easier than treatment, as the soil may be infected. Avoid watering from the top of the plant, and prune for circulation so the plant’s leaves and stems remain dry. You can try to replant it in fresh soil after trimming away diseased parts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Overfertilization with too much nitrogen in your soil promotes more foliage but less flowering. Extra phosphorous can remedy the issue. High temps in the upper 90s and above can cause heat stress and slow flowering. Some varieties, like winter jasmine, require a fall “rest period” when it doesn’t produce a jasmine flower and needs cooler temperatures.

A balanced to slightly-higher nitrogen fertilizer will give the plant everything it needs to promote lush green growth. For jasmine flowers, opt for a higher phosphorous fertilizer. Potassium spurs root growth.

Jasmine rice is completely unrelated. It’s a long-grain white rice that naturally has a jasmine-like subtle fragrance, but this doesn’t come from jasmine’s white flowers.

Plant your jasmine in full sun with some partial shade, in well-draining soil.

Depending on the cultivar and your climate, you can grow jasmine flower indoors or outdoors. Flowering shrubs are typically easier to keep indoors.

The ASPCA says it is non-toxic to dogs.

Most cultivars bloom from spring to fall, but there are some winter-blooming varieties, like winter jasmine, for instance. The months the jasmine blooming season occurs in your region are going to vary, but it can be anytime from spring through the fall.

Dense plants can provide habitat for snakes.