Open white jasmine flower against a blurred green background

Common jasmine

Jasminum officinale

The climber of summer evenings: a froth of white flowers with a scent that carries across the terrace.

Light: Full sun
Water: Moderate watering
Care: Intermediate
Heat: High heat
Pets: Pet-safe

At a glance

Botanical name: Jasminum officinale
Also known as: Jasmin · Jasmin blanc · Common jasmine · Poet's jasmine · Yasmine · ياسمين
Mature height: 300 to 600 cm
Growth: Fast growth
Environments: Outdoor · Terrace · Balcony · Garden
Pets: Pet-safe

Care

What this plant needs

For each area, the instruction specific to this plant, then the general principle that explains why.

Water

For this plant

Keep the soil cool without excess: two waterings a week in pots in summer, one a week in the ground.

The principle

A moderate need asks for regularity rather than volume. Water when the top three to four centimetres feel dry: in practice weekly from May to September, every ten to fifteen days the rest of the year. Adjust for the pot — terracotta dries twice as fast as fibreglass.

Light

For this plant

Sun or bright half-shade. Feet in the shade of a low wall and head in the sun is the ideal combination.

The principle

Full sun means six hours or more of direct light a day. These plants build thick foliage and dense tissue to cope with it; in insufficient light they stretch, lengthen their internodes and lose their compact habit. After buying or repotting, reintroduce direct sun gradually over ten to fifteen days to avoid scorch.

Feeding

For this plant

Compost in spring and a flowering-plant feed in June.

The principle

A fast grower exhausts its substrate quickly: a half-strength feed every two to three weeks from March to October beats one strong monthly dose. A new leaf smaller than the last almost always signals depleted soil or a pot that has become too tight.

Temperature

For this plant

Hardy to −10 °C; it may drop its leaves in winter in Fes and regrow in spring.

The principle

Good heat tolerance means the summers of Marrakech, Fez or Béni Mellal pose no problem as long as water follows. Days above 38 °C call for early-morning watering and, in a pot, protection of the west-facing wall: the root ball can reach 50 °C before the plant shows anything at all.

Yearly rhythm

Indicative calendar

Calendar derived from the plant's profile — water need, heat tolerance, environment and growth rate — applied to the Moroccan climate; adjust it to your city, your exposure and your substrate.

Indicative twelve-month care calendar
	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Watering	Watering in January: Reduced	Watering in February: Reduced	Watering in March: Regular	Watering in April: Regular	Watering in May: Regular	Watering in June: Sustained	Watering in July: Sustained	Watering in August: Sustained	Watering in September: Sustained	Watering in October: Regular	Watering in November: Reduced	Watering in December: Reduced
Feeding	Feeding in January: Nothing to do	Feeding in February: Nothing to do	Feeding in March: Regular	Feeding in April: Sustained	Feeding in May: Sustained	Feeding in June: Sustained	Feeding in July: Sustained	Feeding in August: Sustained	Feeding in September: Regular	Feeding in October: Nothing to do	Feeding in November: Nothing to do	Feeding in December: Nothing to do
Pruning	Pruning in January: Nothing to do	Pruning in February: Regular	Pruning in March: Regular	Pruning in April: Nothing to do	Pruning in May: Nothing to do	Pruning in June: Nothing to do	Pruning in July: Nothing to do	Pruning in August: Nothing to do	Pruning in September: Nothing to do	Pruning in October: Nothing to do	Pruning in November: Nothing to do	Pruning in December: Nothing to do

IntensityNothing to doReducedRegularSustained

Morocco

Where this plant thrives in Morocco

Our observations city by city, crossed with the local climate. A city that is missing is not a refusal: it simply has not been documented for this plant yet.

Thrives

Fezinland · dry air · 42 °C in summer, 2 °C in winter
Rabatcoastal · moderate humidity · 33 °C in summer, 6 °C in winter
Tangiercoastal · humid air · 31 °C in summer, 8 °C in winter
Meknesinland · dry air · 41 °C in summer, 2 °C in winter

Well suited

Casablancacoastal · moderate humidity · 33 °C in summer, 7 °C in winter
Tetouancoastal · humid air · 32 °C in summer, 7 °C in winter
Kenitracoastal · moderate humidity · 36 °C in summer, 5 °C in winter
Marrakechinland · dry air · 45 °C in summer, 4 °C in winter
Agadircoastal · moderate humidity · 34 °C in summer, 8 °C in winter
Salécoastal · moderate humidity · 33 °C in summer, 6 °C in winter

Possible with care

Oujdainland · dry air · 41 °C in summer, 1 °C in winter
Beni Mellalinland · dry air · 43 °C in summer, 3 °C in winter

We deliver to all of these cities.

Diagnosis

Three signals worth reading

The three most common disorders on a plant with this profile, and the move that corrects them.

1
What you see
Dry brown leaf tips and edges, foliage that droops late in the day and recovers overnight.
Likely cause
Alternating neglect and compensation: the root ball dries out completely, then receives too much at once.
The right move
Fix one watering day a week and check with a finger before you pour. Trim brown parts with scissors, following the leaf's shape; they will not turn green again.
2
What you see
Stems stretching towards the window, long internodes, new leaves smaller and paler.
Likely cause
Not enough light. A full-sun plant three metres from a window receives less than a tenth of what it asks for.
The right move
Move it to the brightest glazing or out onto a balcony, reacclimatising it to direct sun over two weeks. Cut back the stretched shoots: it will regrow compact.
3
What you see
Lower leaves dropping and tips browning in the weeks after a move or a change of season.
Likely cause
Adaptation stress: the plant is adjusting its foliage to a new quantity of light.
The right move
Change nothing for a month — no repotting, no feeding, no moving. Keep watering regular and remove only the leaves that are entirely dry.