Jasmine
Jasminum officinale
Family: Oleaceae · Also called Common Jasmine, Poet's Jasmine, True Jasmine, Jasminum viminale, Jasminum officinale var. piliferum, Jasminum officinale var. tenuifolium
Heady & Exotic · Summer bloomer
Jasmine is the undisputed queen of the night garden. Its small, star-shaped white flowers release an intoxicating fragrance that intensifies after dark, an evolutionary strategy to attract nocturnal moths. One of the most important ingredients in perfumery, jasmine appears in an estimated 80% of women's fragrances.
sensuality, grace, elegance, divine hope
In the Victorian language of flowers, jasmine means “Grace and elegance”. Jasmine is the national flower of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Pakistan. In India, jasmine garlands (gajra) are woven into women's hair for weddings and festivals. In the Arab world, jasmine tea is a symbol of hospitality. The Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions were called 'Jasmine Revolutions.'
Did You Know?
Jasmine flowers must be picked at night or before dawn, when their scent is strongest. It takes about 8 million hand-picked blossoms to produce just one kilogram of jasmine absolute, making it one of the most expensive raw materials in perfumery.
Warm temperate and tropical forests, often climbing through trees and over walls
Jasmine is native to South Asia, Southeast Asia. It naturally grows in warm temperate and tropical forests, often climbing through trees and over walls.
Scent Profile
“An intensely sweet, warm fragrance with indolic depth, seductive and enveloping, strongest after sunset when the blooms release their full power.”
Quick Reference
- Scientific NameJasminum officinale
- FamilyOleaceae
- Native ToSouth Asia, Southeast Asia
- Bloom SeasonSummer
- LifespanPerennial
Cultural Significance
Jasmine is the national flower of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Pakistan. In India, jasmine garlands (gajra) are woven into women's hair for weddings and festivals. In the Arab world, jasmine tea is a symbol of hospitality. The Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions were called 'Jasmine Revolutions.'