Alice, Jasmine will not do very well in a north window without a good bit of artificial light. She should put it out in the warm weather, gradually letting it adjust to the stronger light conditions. And she will have to bring it in again before the first frost in the fall. Jerry

I have had 2 jasmine plants for the past 7 years in Michigan. They seem to grow fine. I don't have artificial lights. In the summer, I put them outside and they grow like crazy. In the winter they go into a semi-sleep state where they do not grow. They flower in the winter though, like when it gets colder, they will flower. I found that the flowers scent in this country tends not to be very strong, unlike the jasmine we had in Pakistan. I think if she is good with plants she will do okay with them. I gave my mother a couple of jasmine plants and they died quickly in her hands, in Cincinnati, which is a little warmer and sunnier than Detroit. Good luck.

Thanks for your responses. I might give it a try, on the principle of "nothing ventured, nothing gained," warning her not to expect anything druing the over-wintering indoors.

Alice

hey nkd01
i was curious what kind of jasmine plants do you have i live in new mexico (zone 6)and wanted to try growing jasmines,and i agree none of the jasmines smell like they do back in pakistan.

Hi Alice,
I keep a couple of Lakeview Jasmines overwintered in my laundry room during winter. I use overhead flourescent lights on them and they do bloom a few times during the winter indoors. I do notice, though, that they put out growth really fast when they are in full sun outside during summer. I even put my Jasmine trees out for a few warm days last month and they put out new growth in response. As far as growing Jasmines indoors year-round, the flourescents won't give them enough light, so maybe halide lights would do (see the growing under lights forum). The flourescents hold my Jasmines throughout the winter and I get enough blooms to say aahhhhhhh, the hassle was worth it.

Aliceb,

Do you know what kind of jasmine you're planning on giving? J. sambac 'maid of orleans' (or MOO for short), the most common florists' and box store jasmine, will survive under these conditions if kept barely moist and washed off weekly to keep the spider mites at bay -- but it won't flower much at all. If your mom is willing to take care of it for the sake of having a big, established plant blooming its head off during the summer, then go for it! If not, it may be easier to just buy her a new one each spring.

Dicentra, the Lakeview jasmines you're growing are murreya species, not jasminums, so they're different under cultivation -- more treelike, and more hardy.

Nkd and novice, I'm really curious to hear more about jasmines in Pakistan and the differences between the ones here -- I'm researching a book on jasmines and would love any stories, info, or sources you might have.

Thanks!

Jim

So right, so a Latin name always suffices...Murraya paniculata ÂLakeview aka Lakeview Jasmine, which is really Jessamine. It is almost always sold and referred to, in error, as a jasmine, so it is recognizable as such but misleading. I find that the 'Lakeview' jessamine is well worth the fragrance and hassle of overwintering here and gives the same punch as true jasmines IMHO.

Thanks, Jim and Dicentra, for your helpful responses. It is "Maid of Orleans" that I'm thinking of, but now I'm going to explore the Lakeview "jasmine" as well.

Thanks again,

Alice

I have a Jasmine that I put out in full sun all summer and then take in for the winter. It has never bloomed since I first got it. Any suggestions? I am tempted to "forget" to bring it in this winter ....

Murraya, is closer to citrus..the blooms are incredibly fragrant..but they do best in bright light and a summer outside..
You can get a MOO at www.accentsforhomeandgarden.com for 4.95..Plant is about 8" tall w/buds/flowers..I bought my first MOO from them a few yrs back and recently bought a second to fill up the pot..For that price, you can't go wrong..I wouldn't spend 20.00 only to find the plant won't do well in a north window..
Dunsmoir, do u know what type of jasmine you have? Some are harder to get to flower than others. I've had a Stephonitis for yrs..foliage is doing great but no flowers..
Are you fertilizing your jasmine? Perhaps you should alternate using a blooming food one month, then all purpose the second..They also sell jasmine fertilizer at Plumeriapeople.com and stokestropicals.com
Be sure it's not a Murraya, also called Orange Jasmine/Lakeview which isn't a jasmine at all..Murraya does best using citrus or azalea food..Don't give up...If you can post a pic that might help..Toni

Dunsmoir,

A couple of questions:

do you know what kind of jasmine you have -- as you can see, there are a lot of different plants with that name!

Is your jasmine growing, but not flowering? Are the leaves looking yellowish? Has it been in the same pot since you got it? It may be time for a repotting and/or light fertilizing -- give us more details and we can give more suggestions.

OK, back to the topic: Elvin McDonald, the dean emeritus of indoor gardening, says you can flower jasmine MOO under lights, so if it's not flowering outside in the shade, get a good light setup and you'll have blooms on and off all year!

Jim

I bought my Lakeview Jasmine tree over two years ago at a Home Depot in Florida. It was a small 3 gallon standard. I planted it in a Large decorative pot about 30 gallons. I have never had any trouble with it no matter where I move. I mostly keep it outside year around (zone 9) but bring it in when a freeze is predicted for that night. I water it at least every other day and fertilize it with a slow release granular fertilizer in the Spring. It gets sun all morning and light shade in the afternoon. The cold 30 degree weather doesn't seem to bother the tree. We have 90 degree heat in the summer and we are very humid here in Charleston, SC. It is by far my favorite plant! It stands at least 6 feet tall and 3 or 4 feet wide now. Water is the key to a nice Lakeview Jasmine. You can never over water a Lakeview Jasmine as long as you have it planted in very well drained soil. Everyone should try one because it is an easy plant to grow!