Winter Jasmine - A Gardener's Guide and Plant Profile

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Last Updated On: March 24th, 2020

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Learn all about Winter Jasmine in this gardener's guide of these beautiful perennials, including plant care, companion plants, and more.

Jasmine plant with yellow flowers having melting snow and ice hanging on it.

Winter Jasmine is a curious find in any garden. Whether spreading low over large areas or forming mounds resembling shrubs, its unique growth and profuse yellow flowers (that bloom in mid-winter to early spring) will brighten and accentuate any garden they happen to grace.

A member of the Olive family (Oleaceae), it has seasonal potential and interest along with its year-round texture of deciduous stems and unique growth.

In this winter jasmine plant profile, you'll learn about the characteristics of this spreading vine type of plant as well as basic plant care and companion plants for your landscape.

If you're already lucky enough to grow this particular deciduous perennial in your garden but you are unsure how to best care for it, this post will teach you the skills you'll need. Or, if you are new to gardening and want to add this type of vine (or others similar to it) to your landscape but you're scared you might kill them with your black thumb, don't worry.

This post will give you the confidence you need to grow and care for them on your own.

Oh, and if you want to plant bulbs this spring for beautiful summer flowers, check out How to Plant Your Garden Bulbs (eBook)

Winter Jasmine: Why You Might Want It In Your Garden

If you are looking for some pre-spring bling of flower color in your garden, then winter jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum, should definitely be on your list to add to your garden.

These fun and amazing plants are just what any general garden needs to give it new life and provide bright, pops of color before spring officially begins. Oh, and unlike other jasmine plants, this plant has no fragrance.

Even without a sweet fragrance, this plant can kick your spring off to a great start with bright yellow flowers.

There aren't any cultivars or different varieties being sold out there right now, but winter jasmine does come in variegated leaf forms, so keep an eye out for those for any of you out there looking to stand out from the rest of the crowd.

A fun note about winter jasmine is that it can self-root when stems lay on or get covered below the ground, so you can then cut away and have new plants to spread to other parts of your garden or give to your neighbor or garden friends.

Read on to learn more about this awesome shrub in the winter garden.

Jasmine: History and Uses

As you begin your journey to understand more about jasmine plant care, a good place to start is to first learn about their family group, their history, and their uses.

Oleaceae Family

Winter jasmine is in the Oleaceae Family. Also known as the olive family, this family group has over 200 species of fragrant-flowered shrubs and vines.

The olive family features some of the most popular flowers in the world known for their aromatic scents.

Olive family members are valued for a range of uses, including:

Perfumes
Cooking oils
Ornamental gardens
Herbal teas
Other medicinal uses

Other members of the Oleaceae family include olive trees, ash, privet, forsythia, lilac, and many more.

History of Jasmine (in Brief)

Winter jasmine, or Jasminum nudiflorum, is native to China.

The name "Jasmine" is Latin for the Persian name Yasmin or Yasamin. In addition, the name "nudiflorum" refers to "naked flower."

This plant was first discovered and collected in China by Robert Fortune.

Winter jasmine is best known as an ornamental winter-bloomer in gardens around the world. Some great uses for winter jasmine are mounding shrub-forms or as a thick ground cover.

People also enjoy winter jasmine draped over retaining walls or climbing up arbors and trellises.

One notable award for this plant was given by the Royal Horticultural Society with its Award of Garden Merit.

Today, winter jasmine is a great choice for winter gardens due to its yellow flowers, tolerance for cooler weather, and evergreen foliage the remainder of the year.

Winter Jasmine Care and Plant Profile

Now that you've learned a bit of background information about this winter-blooming perennial, it's time to present you with an overall guide to jasmine plant care to get you started with the basics.

Then, after you read the table below, keep scrolling to learn more about planting steps, companion plants, and differences between winter jasmine and forsythia.

Common/Trade Name	Winter Jasmine
Botanical/Scientific Name	Jasminum nudiflorum, in the Oleaceae Family
Cultivars/Varieties	Just species listed is available. Also in a variegated form.
Zones	Sunset zones 2 to 21. USDA – 6 to 9.
General Information	Really well adapted for cooler climates. There are variegated versions available. Great for trailing over wall, arbors and trellises, or even as a bank-cover where it can fall over an edge. Great for attracting pollinators mid winter to early in the spring.
Native Environment	China.
Plant Type	Deciduous Vining Shrub
Water Needs	Needs moderate to regular watering.
Mature Height/Width	Grows to 4 ft tall if unsupported and 7 ft wide. If grown on a trellis or wall it can grow up to 15 or so feet high.
Bloom Time	From winter into early spring.
Flower Colors	Bright yellow and can grow up to 1 inch size.
Sun Exposure	Thrives in full sun or light shade.
Fertilize	Yes, with compost worked into the surrounding soil. Time-release ok to use, too.
Plant Spacing	For dense plantings, space plants 6-7 feet a part. For more open areas and room to grow/less need for any weed control, spacing can be more of 8 feet or larger a part from each other or other plants.
Suggested Companion Plant/s	Clematis, Lantana, Roses, Flax, and other Jasmine plants.
Maintenance Level	Minimal maintenance if using to take over an area or grow up or over, with some possible training of vines and some pruning. If training more as a mounding shrub or over walls, then a higher level of care will be needed with shaping and forming to be done every 6 months to a year, or more depending how tightly manicured the plant needs to be. Can be heavily pruned just before spring growth begins (after flowering is done). Prefers good draining soil and sunny locations, but will adapt to many different conditions.
Poisonous to Pets?	According to the ASPCA, all Jasmine species are non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/jasmine .
Edible for Humans?	Jasmine vines can cause stomach irritating if ingested by children or elderly, but is thought to be not toxic to humans overall. Flowers are non-toxic.
Fun (or historical) Facts	- Winter jasmine can tolerate a range of soil conditions. - Blooms from late winter to early spring with yellow flowers. - This jasmine has slenderish, willow-like green stems that will stand out in the winter when no leaves are present. - One of the jasmines that produces unscented flowers. - If planted in good soil you will get faster growth and if placed in a more sunny location it will have more flowers. - Can adapt well to lesser soils and less sunny locations.

What is the Difference Between Winter Jasmine and Forsythia

Forsythia and winter jasmine are commonly mistaken for one another. Rightfully so, they both have yellow flowers and have similar blooming times.

However, a big difference is that winter jasmine blooms during the winter and forsythia blooms in the early spring. Therefore, winter jasmine will bloom earlier than forsythia.

One of the biggest differences between these two plants is that Jasminum nudiflorum is a vining shrub with trailing branches. Forsythia is an upright shrub that has a fountain-growth form which then spreads out to the sides.

Another important way to tell them apart is winter jasmine has leaves that are trifoliate. Its leaves are made up of three "leaflets," meaning three small leaves make up the one small leaf. Forsythia's leaf shape is a round, pointy-tipped leaf. (Other species of jasmine have different leaf structures).

A fun fact is that both plants flower before they develop or grow their new leaves for the season.

When Should I Plant Winter Jasmine?

Ideally, you would want to plant winter jasmine in the spring if you want to have beautiful flowers bloom the following winter season.

If flowers are not your concern, then plant it in the fall.

Perfectly suited for cooler-temperature climates, Jasminum nudiflorum fills in and spreads around adding year-round interest to your garden.

It can also help with weed control by smothering out unwelcome plants which is a great bonus.

Winter Jasmine Companion Plants

This type of jasmine blooms in the winter which is a wonderful benefit to any garden, especially if you like vines and other types of vertical-growing plants.

In the winter season, you will be a bit more limited to foliage or other winter bloomers that grow in similar conditions.

You really cannot go wrong with a companion for your Jasminum nudiflorum. It simply boils down to your individual preference, color choice, and sunlight needs.

Companion plants to consider:

Clematis
Lantana
Rose
Forsythia
Rhododendrons
English Laurel

Winter Jasmine Conclusion

As you've read above, this species of jasmine will enhance your winter landscape in so many ways. With its beautiful yellow blooms and trailing vines, you really cannot go wrong.

If you're looking to add an interesting plant for a groundcover or on a slope, look no further than the color and garden interest of Jasminum nudiflorum.

Now we want to hear from you!

What other questions do you have about winter jasmine that we didn't answer above? Let us know by leaving a quick comment below. Thanks!

Want to learn about other plants in your garden? Check out some of our previous plant profiles:

See you in the garden!

~ Sean and Allison

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Jasmine References:

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