Jasmine is popular for its fragrant flowers and glossy little leaves. It originates from Oceania and Eurasia, but most of us know it as an “Oriental” plant. We also think of jasmine as a white flower, but there are also yellow, blue, and pink varieties.
It is a prolific bloomer with massive flowers. This makes it ideal for vibrant and sweet-smelling and gardens and patios. But how many types of jasmine flowers are there?
The genus Jasminum has two hundred different species, but all jasmines can be divided into two main categories: vines and shrubs. Within each group, there are varieties with different qualities and habits. For example, some are evergreen, and others are deciduous.
In this article, you will learn how to identify the features of many jasmine species. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Types of Jasmine Flowers
Common Jasmine (Jasminum officinale)
The delicate flowers of common jasmine are one of the most fragrant of the jasmine types. Common jasmine is also the most commonly grown type of jasmine worldwide. It is a fast-growing semi-evergreen plant. It features pure white flowers that give off a strong, sweet, and heady aroma.
Other names for common jasmine include white jasmine, summer jasmine, and poet’s jasmine.
Common jasmine starts flowering in early summer and continues until fall. Flowers grow in clusters on the jasmine plant, and each flower has five petals. The white flowers in these clusters measure around 1-inches wide.
This type of jasmine has vigorous climbing habits, making it perfect for covering arbors, trellises, or walls. You can also use jasmine as a ground cover plant or grow it in containers. It can grow up to 30-ft and has a spread of up to 15 ft.
Angel Wing Jasmine (Jasminum nitidum)
Angel Wing jasmine has dainty flowers with long thin petals that look like white stars. Similar common jasmine, Angel Wing jasmine (Jasminum nitidum) is a semi-evergreen plant with aromatic white flowers.
Other names for this jasmine type include star jasmine, shining jasmine, and pinwheel jasmine. All of these names refer to the identifying features of this jasmine plant.
The large white flowers of Angel Wing jasmine look like shinning white rays under the sun. These flowers can grow to about 2-inches and have a wonderfully heady aroma. Like many jasmine shrubs, Angel Wing jasmine flowers grow in clusters and bloom in early spring. The flowers have purple undersides, making this a very ornamental plant.
One of the main identifying features of this jasmine type is its glossy green leaves.
Most people who grow Angel Wing jasmine prune it regularly to create an ornamental container shrub. Its glossy leaves, cascading vines, and aromatic white flowers make for an attractive garden feature.
Royal Jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum)
The flowers of Royal jasmine are commonly used in perfumes for their sweet aroma. Like most jasmine types, Royal jasmine is a scrambling vine that has white flowers. Other names for Royal jasmine include Spanish Jasmine and Catalan jasmine.
Compared to common jasmine, this type of jasmine doesn’t grow as tall and has a shrub-like nature. The trailing vines of Royal jasmine can grow up to 4 ft.
Royal jasmine flowers resemble the ‘common’ variety. Each flower has pure white petals in an open star shape. Plus, the flowers grow in abundant clusters.
When in full bloom in early summer, the flowers produce an aromatic scent that fills the air.
Due to the unique scent of the Royal jasmine flowers, it is the species used for jasmine aroma. In some countries, Royal jasmine is used in perfumes and to flavor tea.
Dwarf Jasmine (Jasminum parkeri)
Dwarf jasmine has a small size and yellow flowers. It is an excellent choice to grow in containers or a small garden.
This type of jasmine is a small evergreen shrub that reaches a height of 1 ft. and has a moderate spreading nature. Dwarf jasmine’s dainty flowers have five yellow petals. You can expect an abundance of these bright yellow jasmine flowers from early spring until the fall.
One difference between dwarf jasmine and other jasmine varieties is the size of leaves. Oval leaves grow on short, thick stems giving the dwarf jasmine plant a compact look. This variety isn’t as aromatic as other varieties; however, you still get the scent of jasmine from it.
Use dwarf jasmine as a bright ground cover plant or plant it in containers. You can also prune the dwarf jasmine shrub into various decorative shapes.
Wild Jasmine
Wild jasmine is also known as common yellow jasmine. This one is a small shrub with small glossy leaves and fragrant yellow flowers. Wild jasmine grows into a dome shape up to 6.5 ft. high. Its yellow flowers are tubular and look like a trumpet. You can expect wild yellow jasmine to bloom in mid-summer to late fall.
Unlike common jasmine, wild jasmine has small oval leaves that grow abundantly on long stems. Also, wild jasmine is a cold-hardy type of jasmine and can survive well in cooler climates. You can train the plant to provide ground cover or let it grow into an attractive hedge.
Pink Jasmine
Pink jasmine is a type of ornamental jasmine with pink buds and fragrant white flowers. An abundance of pink buds decorate this shrubby vine, and its 5-petal white flowers give this type of jasmine an exotic appearance. The flowers grow in large clusters, and each flower measures 1-inch across.
This type of jasmine has an intense aroma when it blooms from early spring until fall. From all of the jasmine cultivars out there, pink jasmine is one of the largest. It is a fast-growing plant that can reach heights of up to 20 ft. This means it is a superb plant for ground cover or to decorate trellises and arbors.
You can expect pink jasmine to bloom in early spring and winter. If you live in a warm climate, you may find that your pink jasmine blossoms all year long.
Italian Jasmine
Italian jasmine (Jasminum humile) is a type of cold-hardy plant with yellow flowers. This type of yellow jasmine is native to Asia. It is a semi-evergreen shrub that can grow up to 13 ft. The woody stems grow like a shrub rather than climbing vines.
A unique feature of Italian jasmine is its bright yellow tubular flowers. Each flower is long and tube-like with five petals. These tubular flowers grow in abundant clusters, droop down like bells, and look stunning against dark green leaves.
Flowers on Italian jasmine can be single flowers or double flowers. You can expect an abundance of flowers in early spring. The powerful jasmine aroma will fill your garden with fragrant air.
Italian jasmine is popular because it is easy to grow in cold climates. This cold-hardy type of jasmine keeps its leaves even in cold winters. After the frost has gone, you will have beautiful yellow fragrant blooms in early spring until the end of summer.
Primrose
The yellow flowers of the Primrose jasmine (Jasminum mesnyi) are larger and more fragrant than other types of jasmine flowers.
Primrose jasmine is another type of jasmine with yellow flowers. It is also called Japanese jasmine and is a scrambling type of jasmine vine that thrives in warm climates. Plus, this type of jasmine is cold-sensitive and isn’t tolerant to frost. It can reach heights of 10 ft. and has a spread of between 3.5 and 7 ft. This also means you’ll need to prune Primrose jasmine regularly to maintain it.
Arabian jasmine
Arabian jasmine flowers are commonly used to flavor jasmine tea. This type of jasmine has the classic aroma and has intensely fragrant star-shaped flowers and glossy leaves. Its aromas fill the air and create a fresh atmosphere.
Arabian jasmine is a creeping type of evergreen shrub that thrives in warm climates. Large glossy leaves grow on the vines and contrast with white clusters of large jasmine flowers. There can be 3 to 10 flowers in each cluster. Each flower can measure around 1-inch across and gives off a strong fragrance. As the jasmine flowers mature, they change from pure white to light pink.
This jasmine type grows to an average height for a climber. You can expect the Arabic jasmine vine to reach a height of between 5 and 10 ft. You can also grow Arabic jasmine as ground cover, where it will provide a carpet of pure-white blossoms in the summer.
Arabian Jasmine ‘Grand Duke of Tuscany’
The ‘Grand Duke of Tuscany’ is a cultivar of Arabian Jasmine with double flowers. It’s one of the most beautiful types of jasmine flowers. This fragrant variety has flowers that resemble roses and have ruffled petals, giving them a bushy look. Also, the deep green ruffled leaves add to the attractive appearance of Arabian jasmine.
Compared to other jasmine species, the Arabian Jasmine is a slow grower. It will grow up to 3 ft. maximum. Depending on your climate, this bushy plant can flower all year long. However, the flowering is during summer in cooler climates.
Winter Jasmine
Winter jasmine is a deciduous shrub that will grow into a deciduous shrub. In a tropical climate, this jasmine flowering shrub can transform your garden. The yellow flowers of winter jasmine give a bright color during wintertime.
You can grow winter jasmine as either a trailing vine or a shrub. As a vine, the creeping stems reach up to 15 ft. or 4.5 m. And as a shrub, winter jasmine takes on a sprawling bushy appearance that can be up to 4 ft. tall.
Its thin green stems, dark green foliage, and yellow flowers look wonderful cascading over walls or growing up trellises.
Indian Jasmine
The white blossoms of Indian jasmine look very pretty but lack fragrance. Indian jasmine is an elegant type of plant with snow-white flowers. Other names include ‘Star jasmine’ and ‘Downy jasmine.’
Indian jasmine is a jasmine variety that grows average-sized star-shaped flowers. Each flower has eight petals that emerge from the center. Plus, this fast-growing jasmine plant can quickly reach heights of up to 11. Ft.
Stiff Jasmine
Jasminum volubile or stiff jasmine is also known as Australian Wax Jasmine. It’s a type of jasmine native to Australia. It can easily reach lengths of between 10 and 30 ft., and it has large egg-shaped leaves. Like Angel Wing jasmine, this type of jasmine has star-shaped white flowers that look like a pinwheel.
Florida Jasmine
Florida jasmine is native to China and has showy yellow flowers. This semi-evergreen shrub is a drought-tolerant and low-maintenance jasmine shrub and reaches a height of up to 5 ft. Its foliage is dark green with dainty yellow flowers.
Facts About Jasmine
- The Jasmine plant develops a green, smooth stem that is slender and square-shaped on the cross-section.
- Jasmine plant produces deciduous or evergreen leaves, depending on the species. Leaves can be arranged alternately or opposite on the branches.
- Most types of jasmine plants develop white, waxy flowers that are bell-shaped. Most flowers are gathered in clusters. You might see individual blooms in some types of jasmine.
- Jasmine produces fragrant flowers during early spring and summer. The smell is stronger during the night because the drop in temperature triggers the opening of flowers.
- Jasmine flowers have both types of reproductive organs. Since pistil and stamens don’t develop around the same time, flowers cannot self-pollinate. Bees and butterflies are the main pollinators of jasmine.
- After successful pollination, jasmine flowers transform into blackberries.
- Essential oils extracted from jasmine flowers have application in the perfumes and cosmetics industry. They are used to manufacture soap, shampoos, lotions, shampoos, and creams.
- The scent of jasmine produces a relaxing and calming effect and has sedative properties.