A charming Chinese native, Poet’s Jasmine or Common Jasmine is a flowering evergreen vine or shrub. The plant has been well-known since ancient times for its sweet scent, which is especially strong at night.

Poet’s jasmine grows like a vine but can be shaped into a shrub. It is a perennial plant that needs bright light with some direct sunlight each day in eastern or western exposure. Keep soil moist as Jasmine can easily wilt. When growth slows in winter, hold back on the watering a bit more.

Jasminum officinale blooms best with a cool night temperature. Prune often, as they can be rampant growers. Jasmine enjoys extra humidity. During the growing season, feed once a month with a standard water soluble fertilizer. Jasmines prefer a fertile, well-drained soil.

To propagate: Take tip cuttings just below a node or heel cuttings (from sideshoots with a small section of main stem attached) in midsummer to fall. Grow cuttings in a pre-moistened light soil mix with extra humidity. Repot when rooting has taken place and treat them as mature specimens.