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Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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Posted by jardineratx 9tx (My Page) on Tue, Jul 29, 08 at 10:42
I purchased a night blooming jessamine (cestrum) a few years ago and it has become a beautiful, healthy, tropical looking plant.....but NO fragrance, EVER!!! Is there a look-alike plant out there, or is it a bad clone?
thanks for any help,
Molly |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| That's very curious. Does it get flowers that lack a scent or no flowers at all? |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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Actually it blooms all summer (it's blooming now as a matter of fact). I thought it was only me that can't detect a fragrance, but no one else can either. I'm beginning to think it was a mis-labeled plant, but it looks just like a night blooming jasmine.
molly |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| Molly, the clusters of pale yellow/green tubular flowers don't start putting out their heavy scent until way after dark -- around ten o'clock and then the perfume really wafts all over the yard. Are you staying up late enough to catch it? Sometimes I cut a stem and bring it into the house although the scent is almost too much for inside. It's amazing that such a heavily scented plant does't have a bit of fragrance during the day time or even at dusk. I guess it's possible that you have a non-scented clone. Do the blooms look like this? |
Here is a link that might be useful: Cestrum nocturnum
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| Thanks, Rosalee, for the photo link. Yes, that's what I have. I did not realize their scent came on so late in the evening. I am awake that late, but never go outside after 8 or so....that may be what is happening. I will open the back door tonight and take a big whiff! |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| I can still smell mine the next morning early as well. There is definitely no mistaking when they are in bloom --- all the neighbors will know as well. |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| I just went outdoors and no fragrance yet....I'll check in the a.m. before I make coffee and see if I can get a waft of fragrance then. |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| What about bringing a small piece of the flowering branch in and put in a glass of water? |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| Very odd! I had no idea a plant would only smell at certain times! You learn something new every day. PJ |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| I wonder how that works - holding in the scent until a certain time. Any scientists out there? |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| Hi Prairie! Results of research of how a plant withholds scent would be interesting. I remember the 'whys' that have been postulated; a plant releases scent and nectar to attract the particular polinator it needs when the insect/bird/butterfly/moth is most likely to be present and in just the right amount and proper scent to insure pollination, but no more since it is expensive for the plant to produce nectar. Plants have many different ways of doing that and some plants attract only one insect or bird to do that little chore for them. . Of course many plants depend on the movement of air for pollination. They have ingenous ways of achieving that feat also. A book by David Attenborough, "The Private Life of Plants," is absolutely fascinating in all respects, especially in how plants get themselves pollinated. It has lots of great pictures. "The Botany of Desire" by Michael Pollan is interesting also. |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| I keep meaning to read "The Private Life of Plants". I didn't know about "The Botany of Desire" tho. Thanks! PJ |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| I have one of these in a pot and caught it blooming when I came late one night and it smells really good but no scent during the day either. What kind of conditions does it like? I would like to put it in the ground in the back if it likes full sun. Right now it gets afternoon sun in front. |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| Kristy, it will freeze inground. In our area, I am afraid it will have to be a container plant. |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| That's true Carrie. I've had them off and on for many years. In a mild San Antonio winter they will come back, but in a cold winter they will die. After loosing several I now keep mine in a five gal. pot with big holes in the bottom so it can put roots into the ground in the summer. When the first freeze is predicted I cut it way back, cut loose the roots, and cart what's left into the overwintering/green house. In this way I've kept the same plant going for 10 or 12 years. |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| Oh, thank goodness I ran out energy before I got it planted with some other stuff this morning. Thanks. |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| In case anyone missed the PBS special The Botany of Desire, you can still watch the entire program online. It's incredible. BOTANY OF DESIRE is a documentary which tells the utterly original story of everyday plants and the way they have domesticated humankind. An interpretation of the relationship between plants and people. This two-hour documentary explores plant evolution and takes viewers from the potato fields of Peru and Idaho, the apple forests of Kazakhstan, and the tulip markets of Amsterdam. View online in it's entirety: here This is another related program by the same presenter on LINK TV (a cable access channel) which is timely: Deep Agriculture
Traditional methods of agriculture in most developed nations have long ignored environmental concerns. Factors such as soil erosion, water shortage and the impact of chemicals on bio-systems have been overlooked in favour of massive crop yields and cheaper food. But what impact does this have on our health and our environment? View online in it's entirety: here *** Sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and witness the evolution of an Organic Kitchen Garden (that did have night blooming jasmine that smelled heavanly in the evenings!) |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| I missed it! :-( But many thanks for telling us about it being online. Can't wait until I have time to watch it and the other programs you mentioned too. Maybe you should put this information on a separate thread so it will be read by all. BTW, in light of a recent thread about tarps :-) the funniest thing I ever read about growing 'pot' was in Botany of Desire. I was laughing until my stomach hurt. The book is not a dull read, that's for sure, and I'd bet the TV special is well beyond the ordinary also. |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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| That was well worth the time watching. I had no idea of the "entire" Johnny Appleseed story or the "tulip bubble" LOL |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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Like Brugmansia they are pollinated by moths. So they only smell at night, when their pollinator is out and about. Mine will produce fragrance if it's one of those totally gray, cloudy sunless days. Just starting to bloom, it's in a big mixed planting container that gets a lot of morning sun but no late afternoon sun. The big one in the garden died in Ike.
Since I work shift work and get home late a lot of times I really enjoy these.
Tally HO! |
RE: Night Blooming Jessamine Imposter?
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I was going to watch that and got overruled.
Thanks for the links. |
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