Chinese Jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum): Fragrant Winter Blooms for Cool Autumn Nights

Botanical Name: Jasminum polyanthum

Chinese jasmine features long, wiry vines densely covered with glossy green leaves and fragrant star-shaped flowers.

Cool autumn air and plenty of light bring profuse winter blooms. Growing jasmine indoors, this beautiful evergreen needs your help.

Give plenty of sunshine and warmth in summer for growth. Then provide 6 weeks of cool fall temperatures to set buds. Move outdoors in fall when cool, keeping in partial shade. If outdoors isn't possible, keep in a cool sunroom, brightly lit porch, or other cool room.

Clusters of dark-pink tubular buds arise from leaf axils in late fall to early winter. Buds stay small until ~February, opening into 5-petaled white star-like flowers, strongly scented, especially at night.

Pinch stem tips during growing season to encourage branching. After flowers fade, prune back harshly. Unpruned plants eventually have bare lower stems as they shed old leaves.

Pruning Tip: Prune back hard in spring or early summer to control growth and prevent legginess. Only remove stems that have already flowered. Propagate stem tip cuttings for more plants.

Repot in spring only when roots fill the pot. Jasmine blooms best slightly pot-bound—use a smallish container or you'll get lots of leaves, few flowers. Don't worry about pruning and repotting simultaneously—it's robust.

Jasmine vines need support. Train around a hoop or small trellis in the pot. Tie with florist wire if needed, though this vigorous climber twines readily.

Jasmine Plant Care Quick Reference

Origin: China

Height: Up to 10 ft (3 m) if not pruned back

Light: Jasmine needs plenty of light to bloom. Bright light with some direct sun.

Water: Keep soil evenly moist while growing and flowering. After flowering, allow soil to dry slightly between waterings.

Humidity: Average room humidity

Temperature: Cool 40–60°F (4–16°C) for 6 weeks in fall to set buds. Rest of year: average to warm 60–75°F (16–24°C).

Soil: Any good potting mix

Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks with high-phosphorus liquid fertilizer diluted by half. Don't fertilize in spring after flowers fade, while resting.

Propagation: Take 4 in (10 cm) stem tip cuttings in early summer, root in moist soil.