Jasminum sambacArabian Jasmine

The Jasminum sambac, known as Arabian Jasmine, is a scrambling evergreen shrub that will climb readily when given something to hold. Broad glossy leaves set off small waxy white flowers, single or double according to the form, and the perfume they carry is the one used to scent tea and to string garlands across South and Southeast Asia.

Trained on a trellis it screens a courtyard wall; left unsupported it makes a loose informal hedge. Either way it is planted for the evening scent.

Specifications

• Height1 to 3 metres as a shrub, climbing to 3 metres or more on a support
• Width1 to 2 metres
• Native toThe eastern Himalaya and Southeast Asia, with a long history of cultivation across South Asia and Arabia
• FoliageOpposite, broad, glossy mid-green ovate leaves; evergreen
• Growth rateModerate

Conditions

• SoilPrefers fertile, free-draining soils enriched with organic matter
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate; regular through the warm months
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and frost-free warm regions

Additional Features

• FlowersIntensely fragrant waxy white flowers ageing to cream, single or double by form, carried through the warm months
• UsesIdeal for courtyard and terrace planting, fragrant screening on trellis, low informal hedging and container display
• SpacingPlant 1 to 1.5 metres apart along a support or for a loose hedge
• Low MaintenancePrune after each flush to keep it dense and within its support
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound with basic care
• Cultural SignificanceThe national flower of the Philippines and of Indonesia, and the scent behind jasmine tea
• VersatilityGrows as a climber, a loose hedge or a clipped container specimen

Arabian Jasmine is planted for scent at close range, and it will climb, hedge or sit in a pot to deliver it.