Bio

Tropical Royalty

As the common name suggests, Madagascar jasmine is native to Madagascar and has flowers with a fragrance reminiscent of jasmine. It is a tropical twining woody climber that grows in its native habitat to 12-20' tall. Houseplants in containers grow much shorter. Thick, oval, glossy deep green leaves (to 4" long) are evergreen. Intensely fragrant, narrow-tubular, waxy white flowers (to 4" long) in axillary cymes of 3-6 bloom summer to fall. Each flower has five flaring lobes.

Genus name comes from the Greek words stephanos (crown) and otos (ear), in reference to the purported resemblance of the narrow flower tube to an ear canal surrounded at the end by a crown of five ear-like lobes. Stephanotis is in the dogbane and milkweed family whereas true jasmine (Jasminium officinale) is in the olive family.

A New Home

Madagascar's climate, with its moderate temperatures, high humidity and seasonal cycles of hot, wet summers and cool, dry winters provides the optimal growing conditions for Stephanotis. Grown commercially, the trumpet-shaped blooms are in season year-round, provided they are given enough light and water, and are a popular component of bridal bouquets. It is a vigorous climber, tough-stemmed, bearing dark green leathery leaves, which grow in pairs at regular intervals along the vine. It grows best in sunny, tropical conditions, or inside. They can grow from 2–6 meters, and are widely cultivated as garden plants. They can flourish for years, grown indoors on a sunny windowsill. They can be moved outside or into a greenhouse during the summer.

The More the Merrier

Place your stephanotis vine on your deck, porch, or patio, where you can enjoy its perfume. If your vine is too small to put on much of a show in its first growing season, plant some compatible tropical annuals in the pot, like vincas or pentas. If your stephanotis does decide to bloom, the contrast with the red or pink flowers of your annuals will be a pleasing combination.