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Ceylon Jasmine (Tabernaemontana divaricata): The Pinwheel Flower Tree

A gardener in Santa Cruz, CA, had a 15-foot tree with white flowers turning yellow, smelling like jasmine, resembling star jasmine.

Tree

Expert Identification

The tree is Ceylon jasmine (Tabernaemontana divaricata), also called "Fleur d'Amour" or pinwheel flower. Native to India and Thailand, it can be grown as a large shrub or small tree. The expert has grown it in Louisiana for 10 years; it dies back in hard freezes, staying under 5 feet. There are ~100 Tabernaemontana species, some used medicinally. Cultivars with double flowers exist.

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