Jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum): Winter Fragrance for Your Home

Jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum): Winter Fragrance for Your Home

Native to southwest China, Jasminum polyanthum offers a heady perfume—a rich, sweet scent that fills a house or carries through a southern garden. Dark leaves backdrop a late-January display of pink buds opening into a mist of exquisitely fragrant white flowers.

Our History with Jasmine

Introduced in England in 1931. In the 1950s, our head gardener discovered a greenhouse full of it on a Christmas visit to Shropshire and made ~100 cuttings—making us among the first to offer it in the U.S.

How We Grow Our Jasmine

We continue growing Jasmine at the farm—a months-long process. Late spring: rooted cuttings potted in greenhouse; rapid growth (up to 6 inches/day). We pinch new shoots to develop strong, bushy plants. Ring topiary stems trained slowly along wire forms. Pinching stops early fall; flower buds appear soon after.

We offer Jasmines in several presentations: trained in a ring, paired with Angel Vine topiaries, in hanging pots or grapevine baskets. In any form, a blooming plant puts winter temporarily at bay.

How We Ship

Plants ship with buds already set—proper care assures midwinter bloom explosion. Tender plant; holiday gift orders ship mid-November, weather permitting.

Jasmine Care Summary

• Growing: Easy as houseplant but won't tolerate dry heat or dry soil. Cool spot + bright indirect light = guaranteed bloom on every plant.
• Temperature: On arrival, place in cool room (≤65°F). Warmer = growth but no flowers.
• Light, Water & Humidity: Bright light, little/no direct sun. Water when top inch of mix is dry; no soggy mix. Flowering begins late January/early February if conditions met.
• Humidity: Sensitive to dryness from radiators, vents, wood stoves. Best: run humidifier nearby. Or set plants in pebble/gravel trays with water just below pebble tops (don't let mix contact water—causes rot). Refill frequently. Our Humiditrays work without pebbles.
• Cultural Care: After bloom: ≥6 hours direct sun daily, normal room temps. After frost danger: move outdoors for summer, gradually from shade to full sun.
• Fertilizing: Every 2–4 weeks during growing season (early spring–early fall); withhold fall/winter. Use water-soluble houseplant fertilizer at half manufacturer's rate. Overfertilizing harms; more fertilizer rarely fixes ailing plants—diagnose cause first (light? water? temp?).
• Pruning: As needed for size/shape, but stop by August 1—flower buds set in late summer.
• Next Year's Buds: For winter bloom, give 4–5 weeks of nighttime temps 40–50°F, plenty of sunlight, zero artificial light after sundown in early autumn. Bring indoors before frost. Cool temps + indirect light until late winter bloom.