Last updated on December 2nd, 2011
Jasminum polyanthum, the “Winter Flowering Jasmine,” is a vine so dear to my heart that I have three pots of it in the Music Room window garden. From late-December through March, these fill the air with the most delicious scent in the world, as clusters of snow-white, star-shaped flowers open just as the days begin to lengthen.
Polyanthum is a vine of tremendous vigor; outdoors in warm climates it can rocket to 20 feet and beyond in a matter of weeks. Indoors, it needs a pot at least 4 inches in diameter, and something to climb on. In the photo above, two of my plants are in 6 inch clay pots set at each end of a glass shelf. There, they climb lengths of wire attached to three sides of the window trim, and produce a green, lacy-leaved frame. My third plant is in a 4-inch clay pot set between its larger kin. It is trained around wire arches plunged into the pot.
To get a show-stopping, powerfully-perfumed blizzard in winter, give your jasmine full sun, moderate humidity, moisture when the top soil feels dry, and certain coolness. From September through November, it is absolutely essential to provide nighttime temperatures below 60 degrees, or buds will not form. I removed the storm sashes from the Music Room window to insure flowers.
Like most houseplants, polyanthum enjoys a summer holiday outdoors. My three plants vacation on the shady, sheltered porch. I cut the vines back to three inches at this time, and then repot into fresh soil, still using the same-sized pots. Water daily, and feed weekly with a high-phosphorous plant food. In the fresh, humid air, new shoots grow with lightning speed, and the vines gain the strength they need for yet another spectacular performance in the winter window garden.
Heady perfume, gorgeous flowers, and easy culture — what more can we ask from a houseplant?
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Gregory says
Yes, what a plant. Mine is in bloom, too, although I have it in a hanging basket. The scent is really something to “write home about!”
Samantha says
Kevin, I can just imagine the scent of jasmine, and how welcome this is in winter. Does Logees sell polyanthum?
Laura says
I bought this very jasmine a year ago, already in bloom, from a supermarket. It has grown really well, but it did not bloom this winter. Now I know why. The plant label says nothing about giving it “below 60 degree temperatures” to initiate budding. Bummer.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Samantha – yes, Logees sells polyanthum.
Laura – With your new-found knowledge, your polyanthum will bloom for you next year, and for years to come!
James says
Kevin, have you tried growing 'Maid of Orleans' jasmine? Logees says it makes a great houseplant.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
James, I have tried the shrubby white 'Maid of Orleans' and also the stiff-stemmed, yellow 'Revolutum.' Both were stingy with their blooms, at least under my care.
John says
I’ve been growing a variety of Jasmine / Jasminum plants for a few years now. The majority of Jasminum species are edible, some cultures use the leaves to cure bacterial infections on the skin or remove intestinal worms. Jasminum Polyanthum is one of the fastest growing evergreens in the world and can become invasive, but if planted in the right place that isn’t as much of a problem as some make it out to be.