How to Grow Night Blooming Jasmine in Florida
Night blooming jasmine, also called jessamine (Cestrum nocturnum), forms a shrub-like appearance with long stems that spread 12 feet and often in vine-like fashion. A tropical shrub, night blooming jasmine blossoms several times throughout the year. Tiny white flowers adorn the stems of the shrub. They have a heavy, sweet fragrance in the summer evenings when the blossoms open. After flowering, the shrub produces tiny white berries. The plant is native to Florida and grows in abundance across the state with ease.
Plant night blooming jasmine plants in full sunlight to partial shade. The plant produces more blossoms when placed in full sunlight.
- Night blooming jasmine, also called jessamine (Cestrum nocturnum), forms a shrub-like appearance with long stems that spread 12 feet and often in vine-like fashion.
- A tropical shrub, night blooming jasmine blossoms several times throughout the year.
Plant in light, sandy soil for best results. Most areas of Florida offer ideal soil conditions for the plant to flourish. Avoid planting night blooming jasmine in areas that are close to the beach because it does not do well in salty conditions.
Water night blooming jasmine often to keep the soil moist to the touch until the plants are fully established. Once established the shrub is fairly drought tolerant and can sustain itself on the annual rainfall that Florida receives. If the state is hit by an unexpected, lengthy drought, water the plants weekly to provide enough moisture.
Fertilize night blooming jasmine in early March, May and one last time in late September. Use a 6-6-6 general purpose fertilizer. Avoid a fertilizer high in nitrogen because it will often cause the shrub to produce abundant foliage but very few flowers. Apply according to the directions on fertilizer
- Plant in light, sandy soil for best results.
- Water night blooming jasmine often to keep the soil moist to the touch until the plants are fully established.
Cover night blooming jasmine on nights that are forecast to produce a heavy frost or freeze. In northern Florida, the plant commonly dies to the ground during a hard freeze but returns in spring.
Prune the night blooming jasmine plants in the early spring to remove any dead, diseased or damaged wood. If the night blooming jasmine is killed to the ground from a hard freeze in northern Florida, clip all dead branches at the soil level and discard. The plant will promptly return when the temperatures warm in mid-spring.
Warning
In Florida the plant is considered invasive because it readily grows and escapes cultivation to spread.
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Warnings
- In Florida the plant is considered invasive because it readily grows and escapes cultivation to spread.
Writer Bio
Based in Oregon, Kimberly Sharpe has been a writer since 2006. She writes for numerous online publications. Her writing has a strong focus on home improvement, gardening, parenting, pets and travel. She has traveled extensively to such places as India and Sri Lanka to widen and enhance her writing and knowledge base.
