Anyone else out there have a major thing for jasmine? Of all the fragrant plants that I love -- and there are a lot of them -- jasmine is my favorite. I first fell in love with it (confederate jasmine) a few years ago in Rome. There were walls covvered several stories high filled with it. The smell was incredible.

I particularly like grand duke of tuscany, for some reason. It's easy to grow, the flowers are meaty and beautiful, and the fragrance is heady and sweet.

I'm surprised there isn't a jasmine forum on here.

I love 'em all, the 'true' jasmines and many of the other plants called jasmines -- in fact, I'm writing a book about them and their history of cultivation, so anybody who's got any sources; people, books or other texts, let me know!

My Maid of Orleans, after hibernating like Sleeping Beauty all winter, has finally started putting up buds again.

Mmmm, jasmine.

Jim

I'd like to hear more about your book. It sounds great.

Beetle,

Great pic. Makes me want to stick my nose right into the picture.

Hopeful,

I just started looking at some of the pics of your plants. Oh man... that's an incredible collection. How do you keep all those things alive in the house, especially in the winter? Your house must have a ton of windows.

Patrick

I live in Detroit area and bring it in during the winter since our zone gets so cold. Maybe this is my mistake? Should I let it get colder than I do? I didn't think winter jasmine tolerated temps below 32 degrees...

Yeah, winter jasmine is one of the more cold hardy species that actually needs freezing temperatures to set buds. The hard part is, it's only hardy to zone 6, so in a pot it wouldn't be failsafe in your area.

Two options: keep it outside until you get a couple of hard freezes and the plant drops its leaves (it flowers on bare branches, hence the 'nudiflorum' name), but bring it inside before you go below 0, and you may get blooming indoors in winter, but only if you have a really sunny spot indoors.

Second option, plant it in the ground if you have a protected spot, say near a south-facing wall, and wrap it in dead leaves and burlap or pile up pine branches around it during the winter. I'd wait until spring to do this, rather than sticking it in the ground right before it freezes.

Final option is an unheated garage or porch which might give it some extra protection; once it drops its leaves and goes dormant, it won't need much sun or water for a few months, but watch for buds developing and either bring it indoors to a sunny window or bring it outside on warmer days.

Hope this helps!

Jim

Thank you again,

David

I especially love "Star Jasmine" which is Trachelospermum jasminoides I believe it is what they mean by "Confederate Jasmine" as well. It doesn't do so well here in Oregon, we lack the heat it loves but growing up in Phoenix AZ, it was everywhere and the fragrance is wonderful.

I have a J. sambac in my greenhouse and a variegated Jasminum officinale in the garden but it hasn't bloomed.

I see J. sambacs in big box stores and grocery store florists for cheap all the time though the single forms not the double. I also see J. polyanthum in early spring when they are blooming.