Differences Between Florida & Primrose Jasmine

Florida Jasmine

• The Florida Jasmine, or Jasminum floridum, is often referred to as the showy jasmine. It produces simple, rich-green foliage on long, vine-like stems and blooms bright-yellow cymes periodically throughout the growing season. This jasmine has a slow-to-moderate growth rate and a sprawling growth pattern that often needs to be controlled with pruning.

Primrose Jasmine

• The primrose jasmine, or Jasminum mesnyi, is the fast-growing, Chinese jasmine of this Olive family. It produces dark-green, trifoliate leaves on long, vine-like stems that grow into spreading, fountain shapes. A hardy plant, the primrose jasmine can withstand mild temperatures and short periods of frost. During these conditions, the primrose jasmine is an evergreen shrub that blooms its vibrant yellow, bells-shaped blooms during the growing season, as well as during the winter months.

Differences

• At first glance, the Florida and primrose jasmines look quite similar. However, the differences clearly identify one shrub from another. The Florida jasmine is simpler than the primrose jasmine. The Florida jasmine has small, thin yellow blooms and rich-green, simple foliage. The primrose jasmine has dark-green, trifoliate foliage with bell-shaped blooms. While both plants bloom during the growing season, the evergreen primrose will produce abundant blooms during the winter months while the Florida jasmine lies dormant.

Considerations

• Though differences exist, the care and maintenance requirements of the Florida and primrose jasmines are quite similar. Though sun-loving, the Florida and primrose jasmines adapt well to all sun levels, from full sun to partial shade. Both are drought-tolerant shrubs that require well-drained, loamy environments. The shrubs should be irrigated deeply and allowed to dry slightly between irrigations to avoid over-watering and resulting root rot.