Madagascar Jasmine

Botanical Name: Stephanotis floribunda

Add spectacular fragrance to any room with Madagascar jasmine. It's a beauty, too. Those long thick vines are densely covered with glossy, evergreen leaves and an abundance of white star-shaped flowers.

 

How fragrant?

One small plant is enough to fill a whole room with a delightfully sweet scent. Also called Hawaiian Wedding Plant, the pristine white blooms are popular for bridal bouquets.

Clusters of creamy white, tubular flower buds arise from the leaf axils. Give your plant plenty of light, and you can expect a profusion of 5-petaled, waxy flowers from spring through summer. Each bloom lasts for several days.

No blooms? Lack of sunlight is the top reason for lack of flowers. Put your jasmine plant in a sunny window, sunroom or greenhouse to give it the light it needs. Young plants may not bloom much, so be patient -- the wait is worth it.

Prune it back. After the flowers fade, prune stems back harshly. Plants that aren't pruned back will eventually have bare lower stems as they shed old leaves. Flower buds develop on new growth, so you'll get more blooms this way.

Pruning tip: Prune back in late fall or early winter to control its size and to prevent bare stems. It's a good idea to keep the vine to around 3 ft (90 cm).

Repot in spring only when the roots have filled the pot. Madagascar jasmine blooms best when slightly pot-bound, so use a smallish container or you may see a lot of leaves and few flowers.

Support your vines. You can easily train it around a hoop or over a small trellis inserted in the pot. Tie it to the support with florist wire as it grows.

Madagascar Jasmine Care Tips

Origin: Madagascar

Height: Up to 10 ft (3 m) or more, if not pruned back.

Light: Jasmine needs bright light to bloom. Shade from hot, direct summer sun.

Water: Spring through fall, water thoroughly until water comes out the bottom of the pot. Allow the soil to dry out a bit before watering again. Keep barely moist in winter. If the plant wilts, it's too dry.

Humidity: Ideally 60%-70%. If the relative humidity drops below 50%, use a room humidifier or humidity tray.

Temperature: Give this tropical jasmine warm temperatures (65-75°F/16-24°C) year-round. It will tolerate temps down to 50°F/10°C.

Soil: Peat moss-based potting mix with perlite or horticultural sand added to improve drainage.

Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks in spring and summer with a high-potassium liquid fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation: Stem cuttings do not root easily. Take 4 in (10 cm) stem tip cuttings in early summer, dip cut ends in hormone rooting powder and stand them in moist perlite.