Winter jasmine, superb blooming in ice and snow

Winter jasmine

Winter jasmine is one of the brightest winter flower vines.

Winter Jasmine facts

Name – Jasminum nudiflorum
Family – Oleaceae
Type – climbing vine, indoor plant

Height – 3 to 6 ½ feet (1 to 2 meters)
Exposure – light

Soil: soil mix      –      Foliage: evergreen      –      Flowering: winter, early spring

Care, from repotting to pruning and including the watering is a set of proper actions that will help you grow magnificent jasmine.

  • Note: this is different from star jasmine, which blooms in summer.

Planting winter jasmine

Hardy winter jasmine grows in most of our regions and climates.

Planting winter jasmineFall is best for the planting, since this favors proper root development. Still, it is possible to plant it in other seasons as long as freezing and hot days are avoided.

  • Winter jasmine appreciates sun or part sun, which is necessary for it to bloom.
  • Incorporate soil mix into your garden soil.
  • In a hedge, space each foot of winter jasmine by about 4 to 5 feet (120 to 150 cm).

Repotting container-bound winter jasmine

Winter jasmine potWinter jasmine, since it grows very slowly, is an ideal candidate to decorate balconies and terraces.

  • Winter jasmine, often grown in pots, must be repotted in spring, just after the blooming.
  • Choose quality flower plant soil mix or a mix of peat and sand.
  • Take care not to break any branches when repotting jasmine that is climbing on a lattice.
  • Check on our advice on how to repot your jasmine.

Pruning winter jasmine

Winter jasmine bush spreading out.In spring, after the blooming, maintenance pruning is called for (dead branches, general shape).

In order to favor the following blooming, you should cut all stems back by 4 to 10 inches (10 to 25 cm) while keeping a harmonious silhouette.

After that, every month until fall, pinch  new stems to create new ramifications which will lead to denser, more abundant blooming.

Watering winter jasmine

Adequate watering is required for the winter jasmine to bloom well. This is a plant that needs water but for which excess water can sometimes be detrimental, especially in fall.

Watering in spring and summer

This is the time frame where water needs are at their highest.

Abundant watering 2 to 3 times a week is appreciable for winter jasmine, especially if temperatures are high.

  • Every two weeks, adding fertilizer will clearly increase the growth of your winter jasmine.

Watering in fall and winter

Start with slowly reducing the watering frequency, in the end only watering once a week in winter.

  • Stop adding fertilizer completely during the blooming.

Best place for container-grown winter jasmine

Winter jasmine careThe position and exposure of winter jasmine has a direct impact on its blooming, growth and development.

Even though it is the hardiest of all jasmine varieties, and thus the most able to resist cold, it can only stay outdoors in mild-climate areas. Its hardiness to freezing stands down to 5°F (-15°C).

Elsewhere, for example in mountainous areas, it should be grown in pots to be able to put it away during the fierce winter frost.

In spring and summer

The plant loves being outside, even though it fears spots that may be too hot or too sunny.

Better to go for slightly covered sun.

Indoors, don’t place your jasmine directly behind a window in direct sunlight, or it could dry up too fast. Protect it from direct rays of the sun.

Winter jasmine in fall and winter

Jasmine needs up cool temperatures in winter for it to bloom, so it should be put in a room where temperatures don’t exceed 60°F (15°C). This isn’t really an indoor apartment plant.

Learn more about Winter jasmine

Winter jasmine is a plant that doesn’t smell anything, unlike the other types of jasmine that are part of the ingredients used for perfume.

However, it is a beautifully blooming climbing vine.

Lastly, jasmine bears fruits, small berries that turn black when ripe, which aren’t edible.

There are two types of jasmine: winter jasmine bearing yellow flowers and summer jasmine or star jasmine which has white flowers.

  • Winter jasmine is the only climbing vine that bestows us with winter blooming, although Allamanda occasionally lasts deep into November.

Read also:

Smart tip about jasmine

Winter jasmine still is great for indoor growing, as long as it can stay in cooler premises over the winter!


Images: CC BY 2.0: Tauralbus, Andrey Zharkikh, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0: Jürgen Mangelsdorf, CC BY-SA 2.0: Andreas Rockstein, Pixabay: Anna Armbrust