Two white jasmines to know
Pure white is how most jasmines flower. Jasminum polyanthum, the houseplant, opens white stars from pink buds from late winter. Jasminum officinale, common or summer jasmine, is the tougher garden climber with white, sweetly scented flowers in summer and into autumn, and it often needs a warm, sheltered wall in Ireland.
The meaning of white jasmine
White jasmine is a flower of fragrance more than symbolism. The national flower of the Philippines, sampaguita, is a jasmine, though a different species, Jasminum sambac. The perfume trade has long prized jasmine, and in the language of flowers it traditionally stands for grace and elegance.
Getting scent and flowers at home
- Position the pot where you will pass it, such as a hallway or the corner of a living room.
- Keep it away from heat sources, because warmth shortens the flowering.
- Water moderately and avoid standing water in the saucer.
Garden notes for Irish growers
Common jasmine wants sun and shelter, with a wall behind it and free-draining ground. It can be cut back by hard frost inland, so it generally does better near the milder coast. Prune after flowering and thin it firmly, as it can become tangled.
For people and pets
The ASPCA lists true jasmines in the genus Jasminum as non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Be careful with look-alike names: Cape jasmine and star jasmine belong to other plant families.
