Jasminum officinale
True Jasmine
Common names: Common Jasmine, Fragrant Jasmine
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Hardiness
- Hardy with protection
- Pruning
- Feb–Mar
- Flowering
- Jun–Sep
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
True Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) is a summer‑green, climbing semi‑evergreen shrub that offers a special garden experience with its white, strongly fragrant flowers from June to September. It climbs effortlessly two to four metres on a trellis or support, making it ideal for sunny seating areas, pergolas, and house walls. Its feathery, dark green leaves provide an attractive backdrop for the star‑shaped flowers all year round. The species originates from the Caucasus and Western Asia, so it appreciates a sheltered, warm location with light winter protection here. Bees and other insects are attracted to the fragrant blooms, making the jasmine ecologically valuable.
Care instructions
Plant True Jasmine in a sheltered, warm spot with full sun to partial shade, preferably facing a south wall with a support. Water regularly and thoroughly, but keep the root zone free of standing water; a mulch layer helps prevent drying out in summer. After flowering, prune back overgrown shoots to keep the plant compact and ensure abundant flowering the following year. In harsh conditions, provide winter protection from October onward using a fleece or straw around the base; young potted plants should be overwintered in a frost‑free, bright location. Fertilize during the growing season from May to August every few weeks with an organic flowering plant fertilizer.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJun–Sep
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, nutrient-rich, loamy
Common jasmine likes loose, humus-rich soil that lets water through well but does not stay wet permanently. In a container, a drainage layer of gravel keeps the roots free of waterlogging. In the bed, it enjoys nutrient-rich, loamy, humus-rich soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Apr–Jul
From April to July, it is best to give your jasmine mature compost or diluted nettle feed every three to four weeks. This supports abundant flowering without overfeeding the plant. From August, pause the feeding so that the shoots can ripen before winter.
Pruning
In late winter to early spring, roughly the end of February to mid-March · weeks 8 to 11, cut back shoots that are too long or have become bare and thin out dense areas a little. This keeps the plant compact and encourages new shoots that flower freely. You may remove spent flowers at any time during the season, but a hard cut back belongs in the dormant period.
Overwintering
In most parts of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, common jasmine is not reliably hardy and gets through the cold season best in a bright, cool room at 5 to 10 degrees, for example in a conservatory or stairwell. In a container, reduce watering considerably and stop feeding altogether. Only in very mild, sheltered spots can it stay outdoors with thick winter protection of horticultural fleece and mulch.
Propagation
Methods
- Cuttings
- Layering
The most reliable way to propagate common jasmine is by semi-ripe cuttings, which you take in summer and root in free-draining seed compost. High humidity under a cloche speeds up root formation considerably. Layering is an alternative: a young, flexible shoot is pressed into the soil and roots there before being separated from the mother plant. Both methods give strong young plants after a few weeks to months.
For your garden
Grow True Jasmine yourself
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