Jasmine Varieties: 14 Different Types of Jasmine

Jasmine is known for its delicate flowers and beautiful scent. The name probably reminds you of small white flowers and a particular floral smell. However, some types of jasmine have yellow or pink flowers, and some do not have a scent at all.

While most varieties come from the Jasminium genus, other plants are referred to as jasmine, but they may be from other genera. For example, star jasmine is in the Trachelospermum genus, and the Chrysojasminum genus has many members known as jasmine.

Jasmine can be deciduous or evergreen, and sometimes, it can be semi-evergreen. Very few varieties of this plant do well in cold zones. Most of them need to be in zone 6 or above to survive. If you live in a colder area, you may choose to grow a jasmine plant in a pot and then bring it inside for the winter. 

These plants tend to be shrubs or vines. Often, a single variety can be trained to grow in either of these ways. Provide support for your jasmine if you want to use it as a flowering vine. Read on to learn about all the different types of jasmine to add a beautiful flowering shrub to your garden.

Angel Wing Jasmine       

	botanical name Jasminum nitidum
	plant type Evergreen perennial
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10-20 ft
	hardiness zones 10-11

This variety of jasmine operates like a vine. You might also know this flower by the name shining jasmine. It is often used as a ground cover or as a complement to shrubs. In some cases, you can even grow this plant in the shape of a shrub. Keep an eye on this plant to prevent it from growing too out of control.

Choose this plant if you want big white flowers with an intoxicating scent. While the scent is as strong as other types of jasmine, it has some other differences that make it stand out. The blooms from this plant have thin narrow petals and round centers.

Arabian Jasmine    

	botanical name Jasminum sambac
	plant type Evergreen vine
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10 ft
	hardiness zones 9-11

While the delicate and tiny flowers on other varieties are gorgeous, Arabian jasmine stands out for its many-petaled blooms and big round leaves. This flower is also the plant behind jasmine tea. These white blooms usually appear several times throughout the year. As they age, the petals change from pure white to a slight pink.

This jasmine is primarily a shrub, but you can also train it as a vine. Pick how you wish to use it and train it accordingly. Fun fact: the Arabian jasmine is the national plant of the Philippines.

Common Jasmine  

	botanical name Jasminum officinale
	plant type Deciduous or semi-evergreen
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 20-30 ft
	hardiness zones 7-10

While this variety is indeed common, that does not mean that it is not still a great addition to any garden. Common jasmine is known for its ability to fill any garden with its delightful scent and hulking size. The scent comes from the delicate white flower clusters.

If you are growing this jasmine in a pot, you may want to bring it inside in the winter and leave it outside in the summer. It cannot withstand cool temperatures. However, it is still more cold-hardy than other types of jasmine.

While this plant is pretty tough, it can easily be pruned without harming the plant. If you want it to, this plant will spread and fill up any area you need.

Downey Jasmine    

	botanical name Jasminum multiflorum
	plant type Evergreen
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-12 ft
	hardiness zones 9-11

Whether you want a shrub or a vine, you can train this plant accordingly. Downey jasmine can climb quite high when trained correctly. These plants are fast growers. So, if you want to avoid pruning, you should keep that in mind.

This plant gets its name from the flowers that cover it. These flowers are small and made up of thin, tapered petals. When this plant is in full bloom, it is very beautiful. However, you should know that this jasmine variety does not produce much of a scent.

Dwarf Jasmine

	botanical name Chrysojasminum parkeri
	plant type Deciduous
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12 in
	hardiness zones 6-10

Dwarf jasmine is also known as Himalayan jasmine and Parker jasmine. This plant produces small, yellow flowers close to the ground. While it does not grow very high, it can spread a few feet. Even with that spread, this variety stays relatively contained.

Even though the flowers only bloom in the summer, the evergreen leaves provide gorgeous foliage all year. The yellow flowers are trumpet-shaped. The blooms do not have a strong scent, but look great in in flower arrangements. The leaves on this jasmine variety are tiny and ovular. 

Forest Jasmine       

	botanical name Jasminium abyssinicum
	plant type Evergreen
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 16-18 ft
	hardiness zones 8-11

While some types of jasmine have small and delicate vines, this plant has thicker vines. These vines can be very prolific, and they always grow toward the sun. It also has thick, glossy dark leaves and white flowers with a bit of pink.

Forest jasmine is not too finicky when it comes to how much sun it gets. It can also withstand a range of soil types. Grow this shrub in soil, whether it is loamy or full of clay. These plants grow rapidly, which means you should be wary before you plant.

Italian Jasmine        

	botanical name Chrysojasminum humile
	plant type Evergreen Shrub
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 8-20 ft
	hardiness zones 7-9

Instead of the white blooms shown by other jasmine plants, Italian jasmine has bright yellow flowers. These flowers give way to blackberries. Having an Italian jasmine is a great way to get pollinators in your garden.

Choose this shrub if you want a plant that is easy to care for. It can be used as either a shrub or a vine, and it can do well in several settings, including colder environments. However, it is much more ideal to grow this type of jasmine in as warm of an environment as possible.

Lemon-Scented Jasmine        

	botanical name Jasminum azoricum
	plant type Evergreen Vine
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10-12 ft
	hardiness zones 9-11

These plants live up to their name, thanks to their sweet and lemony scent. The blooms almost look like two flowers stacked upon each other. The petals are long and tapered. You should expect to see these flowers in small clusters around the plant.

To get the best results, plant this shrub in well-drained soil. While it can do well in partial shade, it does best when planted in full sun. This type of jasmine is quite sensitive to cold weather. It is also critically endangered in its native habitat.

Pink Jasmine  

	botanical name Jasminum polyanthum
	plant type Evergreen perennial
	sun requirements Full to partial shade
	height 10-20 ft
	hardiness zones 9-10

Living up to its name, pink flowers adorn this jasmine variety. That is not to say that the flowers on this plant are deep or bold pink. Instead, these blooms are delicate, very light pink, while only the buds are bright pink. This vine can be planted on trellises or as a ground cover. You can even grow it as a container plant.

Some people do just grow it as a houseplant if they do not live in one of the zones where this plant can survive overnight. However, if you grow this plant, make sure you provide it with something to help it climb, such as a trellis. This is one of the types of jasmine that produces a bold fragrance.

Primrose Jasmine   

	botanical name Jasminum mesnyi
	plant type Semi-evergreen or evergreen
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 6-10 ft
	hardiness zones 8-10

Thanks to this plant’s large yellow flowers, you may not think it is a jasmine plant. However, it is indeed, with all the ease of care and beautiful look and smell that other types of jasmine offer.

This shrub is perfect for gardeners who can not spend a lot of time with their plants. It is drought-resistant, and it can grow easily in many environments.

It does not handle extreme cold well. If you plant this shrub in the desired environment, the only consideration you need to make is the amount of pruning needed. Primrose is a fast grower and prolific bloomer.

Royal Jasmine

	botanical name Jasminum nobile or Jasminum rex
	plant type Evergreen shrub
	sun requirements Partial to full shade
	height 15 ft
	hardiness zones 8-11

Pick this vine if you want something that will quickly grow to cover wherever you plant it. It is an extremely fast grower, and it does well on fences and topiaries. This plant is known for having the biggest blooms of the types of jasmine.

This is another jasmine variety that is known for its gorgeous scent. However, these flowers do not smell as strongly as other varieties.

What scent there is can be enjoyed for a long time since the plant blooms almost constantly throughout the year. This blooming is different from other jasmine varieties that do not bloom in the cold.

Stiff Jasmine   

	botanical name Jasminum volubile
	plant type Evergreen
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-5 ft
	hardiness zones 10-11

This large vine is another jasmine variety that can be treated either as a shrub or as a vine. The flowers have fit the expectations most people have for jasmine, but the white blooms are larger than blooms from other varieties. After the flowers appear, small blackberries are produced.

In its native Australian habitat, this plant usually grows on the edges of rainforests or inside dry rainforests. These plants are fine if they do not receive a lot of water.

Wild Jasmine  

	botanical name Chrysojasminum fruticans
	plant type Evergreen shrub
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12 ft
	hardiness zones 7-11

Wild jasmine is much more like a shrub than other types of jasmine. You can grow it as such, or you can use it as a groundcover. It also does well in hedges and hanging plants.

It does best when exposed to full sunlight. This variety is drought tolerant, but you should still aim to water it regularly if you can. While this plant can handle a bit of cold compared to other varieties, you should still avoid planting it in a cold region.

Pick this jasmine if you want delicate, thick leaves and simple, yellow flowers. If you want a fragrant plant, you may want to go with a different variety. The blooms on this plant do not produce a significant scent compared to many other jasmine plants.

Winter Jasmine       

	botanical name Jasminum nudiflorum
	plant type Deciduous
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-15 ft
	hardiness zones 6-10

This plant produces flowers that are the same shape as other types of jasmine. These flowers come in the bright yellow seen in so many jasmine varieties.

The name of this plant comes from a somewhat obvious source. Unlike other varieties, this plant often blooms late in the year. This is long after other plants go dormant for the year. In general, this jasmine is much more tolerant of colder environments than other varieties.

As a vine, you can grow it in a few different ways. For example, it can be used to cover a trellis or as a ground cover. It’s most commonly grown as a yellow flowering shrub or small tree.