Is there such a thing as red jasmine?
The honest answer is almost. The houseplant most people call jasmine is white. The one species with colour in the name is Jasminum beesianum, known as red jasmine, a scrambling climber with flowers from pink-red to red, sometimes rosy crimson. It is less common in Irish garden centres than the white forms and is usually sold as a garden shrub rather than a cut flower.
What to choose for red and scent
If you want the fragrance, choose a white jasmine, and add red from a companion plant such as a red camellia or a pot of red geraniums. If you want the colour, look for J. beesianum on a sheltered wall in the south or west.
- Plant in a sunny corner, out of strong wind.
- Provide wires or a trellis for the stems.
- Mulch around the base in autumn to protect the roots from a hard freeze.
Fragrance
Flowers of the red jasmine are only lightly scented compared with white forms, so expect colour more than perfume.
Pets
True jasmines in the genus Jasminum are listed as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses by the ASPCA. Even so, it is not a good idea to let animals chew any houseplant.
A word of caution on names
Anything sold as a red "jasmine" in a bouquet may be a dyed or look-alike flower. Ask for the botanical name, and if there is none, choose another red flower altogether.
