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Planting and Growing Jasmine

Botanical Name
Jasminum spp.
Grown as
Tender Perennial
USDA Zones
8a
8b
9a
9b
10a
10b
11a
11b
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
20+ feet
Spread
6-10 feet
Soil pH
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Pink
White
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Evergreen
Fragrant
Low Maintenance
Winter Interest
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Pollinators
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Heat-Tolerant
Plant Type
Vines
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

The sweetly scented jasmine flower can fill a room or a garden with its heady scent. Though jasmine is a vine usually grown outdoors, some varieties can also be grown as houseplants. There is some confusion regarding jasmine and which variety is fragrant. Read more about growing jasmine.

Jasmine can be pruned as a shrub near the house or a walk so that its intense fragrance can be enjoyed by passersby as well as by the hummingbirds and butterflies that are drawn to the flowers. The genus Jasminum contains more than 200 vines and shrubs.

Planting

  • All summer-flowering jasmines prefer full sun or partial shade; winter or early spring bloomers do fine in partial shade. The ideal planting position should be warm, sunny, and sheltered.
  • Jasmines have few soil requirements: They like moderately fertile, loamy, sandy, and moisture-retaining yet well- draining soil with a moderately acidic, alkaline, or neutral pH.
  • Most Jasminum species are semitropical vines, best planted in spring after the danger of frost is passed.
  • Plant in-ground anytime from June to November. Dig only so deep that the plant crown is level with the soil surface. Container plants are best planted in the fall.
  • If grown as a twining vine, jasmine will need to be supported on an arbor or trellis.
  • As a shrub, jasmine can get lanky and semi-vining, so it needs frequent pruning. Common jasmine grows to a height of 10 to 15 feet as a lanky, semi-vining shrub, growing 12 to 24 inches a year. Winter jasmine shrubs grow to 4 feet high and 7 feet wide.
  • If you’re going to grow jasmine as a shrub border, you can set plants at least 8 feet apart.

Planting Jasmine as a Houseplant

  • Place a jasmine plant in a partly sunny spot to encourage robust growth. Indoors, locate it near a window and provide a trellis or support. Place soon-to-bloom jasmine in a partly sunny spot. After it blooms, place it near a south-facing window.
  • Indoors, jasmine needs to stay cool with well-circulated air. Try to keep the temperature between 60 and 75°F.
  • Humidity is important. Set the plant pot on a tray of pebbles or gravel; add water to the top of the stones. Run a humidifier, if possible.
  • Water only when the top inch of potting mix is dry to the touch.
  • Plant jasmine in porous material with bark, peat, and other soil that drains well. Soil needs to be moist but not soggy.

Growing

  • Tie the jasmine vine’s stems to a fairly heavy support.
  • Pinch the tips to stimulate lateral growth and prune after flowering if necessary to restrain growth.
  • If the vine is grown as a groundcover, trim the upward-twining stems. Additional plants can be propagated from stem cuttings.
  • Water once per week, increasing frequency or water volume during dry periods. During the summer, allow the soil to be moist, and let it dry between waterings. Water less in fall. In winter and spring months, keep the plant slightly dry.
  • Prune out thin, old shoots after flowering (in spring) to shape the plant.

Growing Jasmine as a Houseplant

  • Jasmine plants like water. Their soil should always be slightly moist, but not soggy.
  • Fertilize jasmine twice a year with fertilizer that is rich in potassium and phosphorus. During the growing season of spring and summer, liquid fertilizer can be fed to the plant every few weeks.
  • Keep jasmine under control with proper pruning, especially at the beginning of spring. Remember, jasmine is a climbing vine.
  • Repot in springtime. Prune the roots when moving to fresh soil, as needed.

Pests and Problems

  • Common jasmine is relatively problem-free, pest-free, and disease-free.
  • Winter jasmine can be infected by spider mites. If this happens, cut the plant to the ground after blooming and discard the infested plant material. Feed the crowns to stimulate new growth.
  • Yellowish leaves indicate the need for fertilizer, which should be applied in spring.
  • For houseplants, look out for mealybugs (white, cottony masses under leaves and on stems). To remove these, use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.

Types

Common Jasmine

Common jasmine or poet’s jasmine (Jasminum officinale), also called true jasmine, is a deciduous vine with clusters of starry, pure-white flowers that bloom all summer. It’s a twining climber with deep-green leaves that have five to nine leaflets, each up to 2-1/2 inches long. The very fragrant flowers are up to 1 inch in diameter.

Hardy to Zone 7, the vine grows vigorously (1 to 2 feet per year, up to 20 feet) and looks stunning climbing a large pergola, fence, or very large trellis. In the landscape, jasmine can also be pruned as a shrub near the house or near a walk so its intense fragrance can be enjoyed and so you can watch hummingbirds and butterflies come to the flowers. Common jasmine is native to Asia.

white jasmine blooms

Winter Jasmine

Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum) is an “old-timey” shrub often found around Victorian homes. The beautiful yellow flowers are unscented, 1 inch wide, and they appear in winter or early spring before the leaves unfold. Winter jasmine is a good bank cover that will spread by rooting where the stems touch the soil. It is also very attractive when planted above retaining walls, with the branches cascading over the side. Hummingbirds love this vigorous vine!

Most other Jasminum species are semitropical vines, which are best planted in the spring after the danger of frost has passed.

Not a True Jasmine

Star jasmine, aka Confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), looks similar but is not a true jasmine. Hardy in USDA Zones 7B through 10, this native to China has phlox-like flowers that bloom on twining stems in spring and summer and are highly scented.

star jasmine
Star jasmine. Trachelospermum jasminoides

Wit and Wisdom

  • In Hawaii, jasmine and ginger blossoms are often used in leis to celebrate Lei Day on May 1.
  • Jasmine’s scent is thought to be calming and soothing.
  • The essential oil of Jasminum officinale is known as the ‘King of Oils’ and has been used to enhance quality of sleep, decrease anxiety, and reduce depression.
  • Jasmine oil is also an age-old herbal medicine and healing agent that has been used for antiseptic or anti-inflammatory powers.

Flowers

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 03/06/2025 - 12:14

While jasmine is a climbing vine, you can train it to go down if planted in a container from an elevated area. You will need to make sure that it is placed in a spot where it cannot attach and climb up anything. You will also need to do some early work to force it to go down, like using plant ties around the container to force the vines to go down.

It would also be a good idea to check with your local cooperative extension or garden center to see what jasmine varieties do best in your area and if there are any that are more likely to work as a trailing plant.

 <span>Keith Bozarth</span> Wed, 06/10/2020 - 13:18
I have a 15 year old jasmine hedge that has become overly thick and woody. It is pruned regularly but over time the stems have become thick and the hedge is several feet thick. It's about 8 feet tall, covering a fence. If we prune back to, say, a foot thick hedge almost all leafs will be eliminated. Will the plant resprout? Our climate is mild enough that the plants grow year-round.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 06/16/2020 - 14:46

Hi Keith,
Jasmine is hard to kill, so you can definitely heavily cut it back. Cut back the jasmine to about 2 feet from the ground. However, keep in mind that it won't bloom for 2 or 3 years after such a heavy cutting.

 <span>Pepper</span> Mon, 05/22/2023 - 17:15
Hard to kill? I have had about 6 plants in year or so and can not keep one alive. The flowers turn brown. I've planted them in the ground as directed and also repotted them. dead
<span>Oliver Queen</span> Mon, 06/01/2020 - 20:56
Can you please advice me, I bought a jasmine plant few weeks ago, I've placed it in the living room in a partially shaded area but it turned brown, I've been watering it every 3 days as it's hot right now. So I've moved it to the front door entrance where its sunny. Do you think that will help the plant in growing.. because the pods are there but it's not blooming.
<span>Tamarah Lynn</span> Thu, 03/26/2020 - 11:52
I have a Maid of Orleans plant that is thriving. I want to propagate several more. Cuttings are mentioned in the article, but growth medium is not. Water? Soil?... Thank you for your answer. One more question, she blooms well, but not as thickly as I would prefer and see in pictures. Should I prune it to achieve this? Or just fertilize? This is early spring and it is setting its first flowers. It was outdoors last summer and in a south window this winter and grew considerably in both locales. I am going to repot into a larger pot and set it out for the summer. The article says prune after blooms. It bloomed all spring and summer and into the fall last year, and well past Christmas in the house. Do I wait until then to prune? And get cuttings? Thank you!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 03/27/2020 - 10:52

Jasmine plants grow well in regular, well-drained garden soil with moderate levels of soil fertility and moisture. You should prune your plant in early auturmn to get it ready for the following year of blooms.

 <span>Cathy</span> Thu, 10/17/2019 - 01:57
I have an indoor maid of orleans jasmine. It flowered only twice, and became dormant. I repotted it, and it grew large leaves, but no flowers. 1. I want it to be short and bushy. 2. How do I prune it properly? It only grows long shoots, but doesn't flower. Root system is healthy. 3. How do I prune it? Do I remove terminal shoots? I need to know what I need to remove to keep it short and bushy. Thanks in advance.
<span>Doris Magiera</span> Sun, 03/03/2019 - 13:48
I purchased several Jasmine from Lowe’s, they r tied to a stick support. R we suppose to remove the ties and stick, i have a trellis structure for them.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Mon, 03/04/2019 - 13:41

They are a vining plant, as you know, so they will need some sort of support. The stick supports that they came attached to can be replaced by a support of your choice. If you have a trellis picked out already, that will work great.