PlantFiles: Crape Jasmine, Crepe Jasmine
Tabernaemontana divaricata

I have kept this plant, 'Flore Plena' variety, in a container for over 3 years in my front porch. I cover it up during winter frosts for protection. Plant grows very slow, flower buds take a while to bloom, but flowers last a long time. Flower's scent fills my front porch area - scent is stronger at night.

This gorgeous plant grows in my sister-in-law's lush garden in Kingston, Jamaica. She planted it by the front entrance so that its glossy leaves and fragrant flowers can be enjoyed by all who visit.

I have 2 plants of this variety. Neither are fragrant. Flowers last quite a while and really stand out against the green folliage. Bloom continually. It's fall and they are in full bloom.

I have recently transplated them to the ground and they are taking nicely.

Winter has not passed so I can't tell you if the will survive the frost. San Antonio, Usually does not have harsh winters but with Mother Nature being unpredictable lately.

I will update in spring with a status update on this zone 9-10 plant in a 8B region.

Until then, can anyone tell me if there are varieties of this plant? As I said earlier, mine is non-fragrant but every post and weblisting I have read says that it has a fragrance. Do I have a different variety?


UPDATE 3/31/06

San Antonio did have a hard freeze and plants did freeze but they are coming back from the root. They, however are not fragrant.

UPDATE 1/30/07

The plants did not freeze this year and San Antonio has had many days below freezing. However, growth has slowed. It peaked at 2 ft. Has not grown since June 2006.

This plant was one of the few surviving shrubs in the yard of a house I bought in St. Petersburg, Florida, zone 9b. The house had been a rental for years, and the yard was really neglected, so I really enjoyed this plant in my front yard right from the beginning. Some years it would stay evergreen if we had a mild winter, and other winters it would frost to the ground. Then I would wait until mid-March, or after all danger of frost was past, and chop out all the old dead branches, and by mid Summer the plant would be at least six feet tall and as wide. It was in part shade, and bloomed sporatically, but especially at night the fragrance would wax through the living room windows--just delightful.

I suspect this particular plant was planted in the mid 1950's, when the house was built. We were North of its range, but I suppose it had acclimitized itself over the years, and I always mulched the roots heavily each year against surprise late freezes.

I remember when I was a child we had this in our home. It was a small tree like plant in a big container. My father would bring it inside for winters. And in spring, when there was no chance of frost, he would have moved it outside. It was very fragnance, as I used to pick up the flower and put it in my school back and my pocket to enjoy the smell. I can not remember that it needed a lot of care.

I RECEIVED THIS JASMINE PLANT AS A MOTHER'S DAY GIFT. I LOVE THE AROMA AND THE FOLIAGE. HOWEVER, I LIVE IN SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY AND WE DO GET SOME SEVERE LOW TEMPERATURES IN THE WINTER. I WAS TOLD THIS PLANT IS TROPICAL, BUT I HAVE TRIED TO WINTER OVER OTHER TROPICALS WITHOUT ANY SUCCESS. CAN ANYONE GIVE ME SOME ADVICE. I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF IT CAN BE PLANTED OUTSIDE AND IF I DO THAT, WILL IT COME BACK.

We have two of these plants in our back yard. They are both trees and are about 10-15 ft. tall. They are growing in partial shade under many large oak trees. The flowers have very little to no fragrance. They have just started blooming 4/2003. Very pretty.

Crepe Jasmine in your list - known by me as Rose Jasmine. A VERY fragrant two inch diameter white blossom. My mother received this plant from a friend who had lived in South Africa. It is a sprawling bush, sending out branches that sometimes take root where they touch the ground. Blooms on and off. Blooms, when picked, do not last very long and turn brown. Quite hardy to hot sun and cold weather. Easy to start cuttings.

Plant originated in India. Grows at a medium pace. Somewhat salt tolerant. Prefers full sun to partial shade. Flowers have a slight fragrance.

When the monsoon rains begin, I have found that the green coloured, slender butterfly larvae (about 1-4cm long) select this particular plant. It sticks the long ends of the leaf together with a white thread like sticky thing and makes it into a little purse, eats up the leaf from inside and leaves for another leaf. Perhaps it is its way of protecting from its predators. I still wonder from where it comes from because I notice new larvae in the mornings. I remove them by hand. Have to try some organic pesticide.

The petals are used for decorating the eye lids. The insides are lined with this. It is a coolant. The petals are ground to make a paste, then placed on a clean clay tile and a little oil lamp is placed under it so that the flame heats up the tile. It is left overnight and the paste becomes black. This is used for the purpose mentioned above.