Jasminum x stephanense

JASMINE
Family: Oleaceae
Pronounced: jas-MEE-num stef-an-EN-see

 

Quick Jumps

Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes

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GROWING GUIDE

 

Origin:
Yunnan — S.W. China.
Plant Group:
Vine.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: 5-9, 14-24.
USDA zones: 8-10.
Mature size:
Height: 15 feet (4.5 m).
Flowering period:
Early to midsummer.
Flowering attributes:
Flowers have long tubes that flare out--called salverform--on a loose cyme bearing 5 to 6 light pink, fragrant blossoms.
Leaf attributes:
Ovate-lance shaped, dull green leaves; new leaves are edged in cream.
Growth habit:
Twiner.
Light:
Full sun to partial shade.
Soil:
Fertile, well-drained soil.
Propagation Methods:
Semi-ripe cuttings in summer.
Pruning Methods:
Thin out stems when overcrowded, after flowering.

 

Rainy Side Notes

 

When I lived in Hawaii, I felt fortunate to have fragrant jasmine growing in my tropical garden. Years later, I found I could grow a jasmine in my Pacific Northwest garden. Thrilled, I wasted no time planting this hardy vine. Two years after planting Jasminum x stephanense, it took over a corner of my back deck. Years later, it climbs underneath the deck roof hiding some of the ugly fiberglass corrugated roof. Although I hack the vine back when it tries to take over the whole deck, I would not be without it. Especially when it's in full bloom, the hummingbirds flock to it. I observe hummingbirds up close when they are feeding on this vine—totally ignoring me. The fragrance is another reason I grow it, whisking me back to my beach cottage on a tropical island. After eight years in my garden, I still love this plant.

This vine is proving to be hardier than once thought. Collector's Nursery in Vancouver, Washington reports it is hardy to USDA zone 6, while Lazy S Farm in Virginia says it survives their USDA zone 5 climates. This jasmine is definitely hardy in our USDA zone 7 and 8 Pacific Northwest maritime climate. It proves to be evergreen in my garden, but can get a bit ratty looking towards the end of winter, especially in colder areas. It doesn't take long for new growth in spring to freshen the vine with glossy green and splashes of cream in the new leaves.

Most jasmine flowers are cream to yellow colored. However, Jasminum x stephanense blossoms are pale pink. The vine is considered to be a natural cross between J. beesianum and J. officinale. It won a Royal Horticultural Society award of garden merit. It definitely is a winner in my rainy side garden.

Photographed in author's garden.

A Pacific Northwest Plant of the Week (2012)