The Use of Madagascar Jasmine in Outdoor Landscaping

Focal Point With Annuals

• Madagascar jasmine has beautiful dark glossy green leaves and a stunning display of powerfully fragrant blossoms in summer. The contrast of the dark foliage and pure white flowers is striking and complemented by vibrant red and deep purple tones, along with accents of chartreuse foliage for contrast. Use it is as a vertical element in annual flowerbeds with some of these color combinations. Even where it can be grown as a perennial, it loses it visual appeal in the winter months -- it is best used a focal point with a display of annuals to showcase its exquisite form during the main growing season.

Patio, Balcony and Container Gardens

• Outside of the few frost-free regions of the country, Madagascar jasmine should be grown in a container and brought indoors in winter. A 5-gallon pot with drainage holes is sufficient and not too difficult to move when needed. The plant can grow to 15 feet in the ground in its ideal climate, but is likely to top out at around 5 feet when grown seasonally in a pot -- a perfect size for small patio or balcony garden. However, a larger container allows it to be underplanted with annuals to create a full floral display in one pot.

Evergreen Screen

• In frost-free regions where Madagascar jasmine can grow to its full potential, it can be used in the landscape like any other evergreen vine. It is useful to soften the wall of a house if trained on a trellis or lattice structure and does not grow so rampantly as to cause damage to the house as some larger vines do. Train it over a utilitarian fence to improve the view or grow it up a white-washed or natural wood fence to make the deep green foliage stand out. It grows slowly at first, but once established, it has dense foliage that can be used wherever a vegetative screen is needed.

Light and Fertilizer Needs

• Madagascar jasmine does best with bright, indirect light -- under a big tree with a high canopy, for example. An east-facing wall is suitable for trellising, but avoid hot southern and western exposures. It needs consistently moist soil during the growing season, but is intolerant of boggy conditions. Plant on a slight mound and incorporate equal parts compost and native soil when planting in the ground. If planting in a container, use a lightweight soil mix and keep it evenly moist. When bringing it indoors for the winter, keep it in a bright sunny window and cut back on the water, allowing the soil to dry a bit between waterings. Fertilize with 10-5-5 fertilizer once per month during the growing season. Distribute the granular fertilizer over the root zone at a rate of 1/4-pound per 10 square feet of growing area and water thoroughly to wash the nutrients into the soil.