Jasminum polyanthum, also known as climbing jasmine, is a flowering, climbing vine. This plant has trumpet-like white and pink blossoms during cool seasons and produces a sweet fragrance. When it is not in bloom, its leaves remain green. It is typically grown as both an indoor and outdoor plant, and generally requires a trellis or wall to climb while growing.
This plant is in the plant family oleaceae. It is tolerant of heat and humidity, and thrives in well-drained, somewhat sandy soil. Jasminum ployanthum may also be planted in clay, provided the soil has sufficient drainage. Its ideal soil can range from slightly acidic to slightly basic, with a pH between 6 and 8.
Jasminum polyanthum produces white, pink, and purple blossoms and dark green leaves with light green undersides. The blossoms are generally seen during spring or fall, and are edible, creating a sweet taste on the tongue. The vine maintains its green leaves during summer and winter, allowing it to be classified as an evergreen vine.
It is native to both the United States and China, and is typically grown as an indoor houseplant. It grows well in both sunlit and shade conditions and can also be planted from wood cuttings. An excellent climber, jasminum polyanthum flourishes on walls and trellises. It can grow, in the right conditions, to a height between ten and 20 feet (3.04 to 6.09 m).
When grown indoors, this plant should be placed near a window that receives between five and six hours of sunlight per day. It requires a trellis, placed in the planting container, to allow jasminum polyanthum to climb and flower. It may also be planted in hanging baskets so that the flowering vines cascade out of the container.
Jasminum polyanthum typically benefits from fertilizer feedings once a month during the spring and summer months. It also may be fed once during the late winter to maintain evergreen leaves. The plant should be pruned immediately after the last blossoms fall at the start of autumn or end of summer. It may be pruned heavily to encourage the onset of winter blooms.
It is considered an invasive species in Australia and New Zealand, where it is not found naturally, but was introduced. This plant spreads rapidly from any small section of stem and suffocates surrounding foliage. The vine covers the ground immediately and can grow to half the height of any nearby existing tree canopy. Its growth may be inhibited by cutting back the flowering wood and applying herbicide to the exposed cut ends.
