jasmine
Jasminum L.
A genus overview; characteristics vary between its species.
Jasminum includes upright shrubs as well as plants that scramble or climb through surrounding vegetation. Many species are grown for their showy, scented flowers, and only two stamens sit inside each tubular corolla. Kew floras: Jasminum
Botanical name
Jasminum is an accepted genus of the olive family, Oleaceae. Kew floras: Jasminum
Recognizing the plant
Leaves are commonly opposite, although other arrangements occur. A blade may be simple, divided into three leaflets or pinnately divided with a terminal leaflet. Flowers appear singly or in branching clusters, usually at shoot tips or in upper leaf axils. The narrow corolla tube opens into spreading, overlapping lobes; flowers are often white, yellow or flushed pink. The two-chambered ovary commonly forms a paired berry; one half may fail to develop. Each developed lobe usually contains one seed. Kew floras: Jasminum
Native range
The genus is native across tropical and subtropical parts of the Old World, reaching central China and Pacific islands. In China, a botanical revision found greatest diversity in southern and southwestern regions, with species occurring from near sea level into high mountains. Kew floras: JasminumMiao 1984: A revision of Jasminum in China
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.