Reproduction of Jasminum Polyanthum

About Pink Jasmine

• Also called winter jasmine, for its flush of winter blooming, pink jasmine is perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 through 11. It tolerates cold down to 25 degrees Fahrenheit, but may not be evergreen in cooler conditions. If your winters are colder, you don't have to rule out pink jasmine, just plant it in a container that can be overwintered indoors or in an area protected from the worst of the cold. Pink jasmine does grow readily as a houseplant during the winter months in any zone, though stems may only grow to half the expected 20-foot length that they reach when planted in the ground. After its first wave of bloom in late winter, pink jasmine can flower off and on through midsummer.

Propagation Methods

• Whether you grow it outdoors year-round or in a pot with winter protection, you can propagate your pink jasmine in two ways -- through cuttings or layering. The method you choose depends on the time of year and available space. Cuttings from pink jasmine root most readily from cuttings of pliable new growth taken in early summer from the growing tips of the vines. Rooting hormone powder can speed rooting in moist vermiculite or soilless potting mix, as can a soil temperature between 65 and 75 F. Layering requires untangling a flexible stem from the body of the plant in early fall and burying the stem lightly at one or more of the leaf nodes along its length. A wire landscape pin or a rock can ensure the vine stays buried until the plant roots. Indoors, you can bury lengths of vine in one or more pots around the parent plant. Keep the vine moist; and in the spring, cut the newly rooted plant away from the parent with sharp, clean clippers.

Post-Rooting Care

• You can gently dig cuttings from their community pots or the ground, disturbing the roots as little as possible, when you see signs of new growth. Pot the rooted cuttings to grow them in containers, planting them at the same level as they were when rooting, or move them to their permanent planting site. Pink jasmine grows well in a hanging planter, where vines can trail, or in a large, heavy pot that can support a small trellis or a decorative hoop for the vines to twine around. Indoors the plants need bright sun with at least four hours of direct sun, but they are best when they spend time outdoors in the summer. Plants growing in the soil should be in full sun to dappled shade and soil that drains well. Indoor plants should be kept outdoors in the fall until they have spent six weeks at temperatures from 40 to 60 F, or they won't set buds to bloom.

Too Much of a Good Thing

• While not on an official invasive plant species list, pink jasmine is considered a plant to watch out for in areas where the climate is warm year-round. The vine can overtake other areas and structures, according to the Hawaii Biodiversity Information Network, and is spread by people moving the plants around and disposing of prunings where they can root. In rich soil, even small fragments of the plants can root and start new plants. Dispose of cuttings in the trash or in the center of an active compost pile in warm-weather areas if you don't plan to propagate plants. Keep established plants well groomed, removing rooted shoots growing where you don't want them.