How to Grow and Care for Asiatic Jasmine

Asiatic Jasmine Care 

Here are the main care requirements for Asiatic jasmine:

• Choose a sunny spot for Asiatic jasmine, though partial shade will work, too.
• Prepare fertile, well-draining soil; the composition is not too important.
• Water regularly until the plant is established, then only occasionally, or during a drought.
• Refresh the soil with slow-release fertilizer once a year at the beginning of the growing season.
• Trim Asiatic jasmine to keep it from spreading out of bounds.

Planting

Plant Asiatic jasmine when the weather is cool. Space plants about a foot or two apart for mass planting so they have room to spread. Dig a hole twice as large as the root ball at the same depth as the original nursery pot. Gently remove the plant from the pot, tease the roots to loosen soil and place in the hole. Backfill with soil, firm around the roots, and water. Continue watering frequently (twice a week) for the first month, cutting back to once a week for a few more weeks until established.

Light

Asiatic jasmine can be grown in full sun and partial shade. It does best in partial shade in southern or western exposures with hot midday or afternoon sun.

Soil

This plant is not fussy about soil conditions and grows well anywhere with good drainage. However, it thrives in moist soil with a high percentage of organic matter. Alkaline soil above a pH of 8.0 is unsuitable as it slows down plant growth and is detrimental to plant health.

Water

Until newly planted Asiatic jasmine are established, the soil needs to be kept consistently moist so they can grow strong roots. Water every three or four days for the first month, and about once a week for another couple of months.

When the plants are established, they have moderate drought tolerance. Unless there is a dry spell without rain or extreme heat, or if the leaves are wilting, they don’t need watering, which adds to their appeal as a turfgrass alternative.

Regular watering is important when growing Asiatic jasmine for flowers because dry conditions lead to reduced bloom.

Asiatic jasmine in a container needs to be watered at least daily.

Temperature and Humidity

Asiatic jasmine is a tropical plant that thrives in humid conditions and does not like extreme or dry desert heat. It is not winter-hardy below USDA zone 7 although it is cold tolerant and remains green even after a hard freeze, which is why it is valued as a turfgrass alternative in warm climates.

Fertilizer

Asiatic jasmine isn’t a heavy feeder. Fertilizing it once a year with a complete balanced fertilizer at the beginning of the growing season in the spring is generally sufficient.

Types of Asiatic Jasmine

Plant breeders have developed several varieties of Asiatic jasmine:

• • ‘HOSNS’ ‘Snow-N-Summer’: The leaves start pink, then gradually turn white and eventually become variegated white and emerald green as they mature. It has fragrant white flowers in the summer. When grown as a ground cover, the plant reaches a height of 18 inches and spreads 3 feet wide. Note that this is a trademarked cultivar and propagation is prohibited.
  • ‘Minima’: This woody, sturdy, drought-tolerant ground cover forms dense mats of foliage in which weeds don’t have much chance—that’s why it is often used as an alternative to turfgrass. It does not require frequent mowing, only once a year. This variety rarely flowers.
  • ‘Ogon Nishiki’: This plant is known under several other names, including ‘Gold Brocade’, ‘Salsa’, ‘Torafu’, ‘Orido Nishiki’, and multicolor star jasmine. New leaves emerge bright orange and then slowly develop into a kaleidoscope of colors, ranging from dark green to variegated leaves in gold, green, yellow, and white. It has fragrant white flowers in the summer.
  • ‘Summer Sunset’: Another variety without flowers but with spectacular foliage in orange, red, yellow, and white, this plant makes it an eye-catching ground cover. This plant is suitable for container growing because it only grows 6 to 12 inches high with a 3-foot spread.
  • ‘Variegatum’: This plant has gray-green variegated foliage and twining vines. The fragrant ivory-colored flowers bloom in the summer for an extended period. 

Pruning

Asiatic jasmine is a fast and vigorous grower that needs regular pruning, especially to keep it under control when planted along a sidewalk or patio.

Individual plants can be trimmed with sharp pruners and even sheared to encourage the plant to develop more branches and grow denser foliage. However, if you are growing Asiatic jasmine for its flowers, delay pruning until after the bloom to avoid removing any flower buds. Only remove diseased or dead branches before blooming in the spring.

If you are growing Asiatic jasmine as a ground cover or turf grass alternative, mow it once a year at maximum mower setting, preferably 3 to 4 inches. Freshly sharpened mower blades are essential or you end up with unattractive jagged vine ends.

Propagating Asiatic Jasmine

Except for the trademarked variety ‘Snow-N-Summer’, you can propagate Asiatic jasmine from cuttings.

1. Using sharp pruners or a knife, take a 5- to 6-inch cutting from the tip of a green and healthy shoot. Strip the leaves from the bottom half of the cutting and trim the bottom end of the cutting until you see fresh white tissue then dip the end in rooting hormone.
2. Fill a 4-inch pot with large drain holes with potting mix. Use a pencil or stick to poke a deep hole in the soil and insert the cutting in the hole. Water it well until the soil is saturated and water comes out of the drain holes.
3. Water daily and never let the soil dry out. Indoors, place the pot in a warm location with bright, indirect light. Or, outdoors, keep the pot in a shaded area.
4. In about a month, you should see some new growth. Wait another month until the new plant has visibly increased and has developed several new leaves before transplanting it to a larger container or garden soil.

If you have a dense carpet of Asiatic jasmine that you want to propagate, you can cut it like sod. Use a shovel to cut a small area, or use a mechanical sod cutter to dig out a larger area. Lay it down in a well-prepared new area free of weeds and water it well. Keep it well-watered for at least a couple of weeks until you see new growth.

Potting and Repotting

Smaller varieties of Asiatic jasmine are suitable for growing in hanging containers. Choose containers made of plastic or another lightweight material, at least 14 inches wide, and with large drainage holes. Avoid hanging baskets lined with coir. Asiatic jasmine likes moist soil and coir dries out quickly, making it difficult to keep up with the watering. Fill the container with potting mix and slowly water it until water flows from the drainage holes.

Asiatic jasmine will fill any container sooner or later so repotting will be necessary when roots emerge from the drainage holes or the plant becomes root-bound. Before the new growing season starts in the spring, check your container plant for these signs and repot it in a container one size larger that’s filled with fresh potting soil. You may also divide it into smaller sections with pruning shears or a soil knife and plant it in two or more containers of the same size. Water it well after repotting.

Overwintering

Below zone USDA zone 7, Asiatic jasmine can only be grown in containers and must be brought indoors during the winter. Providing the right conditions for the plant to survive the winter indoors can be challenging—not only do you need a bright, ideally south-facing window, but the plants also need high humidity, which they’ll have in the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room. Use a humidifier or a tray of pebbles with water near the plant in rooms with dry air. Asiatic jasmine likes cooler temperatures at night. Add grow lights if there is insufficient natural light.

Bring the plant inside for a few hours every day in the fall until the first frost. Once the temperatures drop below freezing, leave it indoors permanently.

Reverse the process in the spring after the danger of frost has passed. Slowly acclimate the plant to the stronger outdoor light for a few hours daily before moving it to your patio or balcony for the summer.

Common Pests & Plant Diseases

Asiatic jasmine is rarely bothered by serious pests and diseases.

Sooty mold on the plant is a sign that scale insects or whiteflies have fed on the leaves and excreted honeydew, on which sooty mold develops. The treatment consists of controlling these pests by applying horticultural oil.

You might encounter leaf spot caused by the fungus Cercospora. It is usually not severe and does not warrant a fungicide. Signs are individual tan or light brown spots with red-purplish borders on the leaves.

Asiatic jasmine is prone to another fungal disease called aerial blight (from the Rhizoctonia fungus). This results in large bald spots across a swath of Asiatic jasmine. Remove the dead plants, apply a fungicide, and allow time for healthy growth to fill in the problem areas.

How to Get Asiatic Jasmine to Bloom

Healthy Asiatic jasmine plants bloom readily but the plant is grown more for its foliage than its flowers. Be sure yours is receiving enough water during dry seasons.

Bloom Months

Asiatic jasmine tends to bloom in late spring and through the summer, typically from June to August.

What Do Asiatic Jasmine Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The clustering flowers on Asiatic jasmine plants are small and white, sometimes leaning towards yellow, with a yellow center. They have a soft, sweet fragrance.

How to Encourage More Blooms

Though Asiatic jasmine can tolerate some drought, it prefers moist but well-draining soil. To encourage more blooms, water regularly, though it’s critical that the plant’s roots not be left in sitting water for long.