Dwarf Tree Jasmine

Why it works here

This is in the trumpet vine family, not the jasmine family, and the name stuck because of the smell. Clusters of pale pink to cream trumpet flowers with orange yellow throat stripes at the branch tips, mostly summer with sporadic bloom all year, and the fragrance is the whole reason to own it. People describe it as rose, fruit, and cologne, and it carries a long way. Bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds work it, though I will tell you that claim comes from nurseries and not from a university. It is compact, it takes shade, it flowers in shade, and it has not escaped anywhere in Florida that anybody has documented. It is also not formally assessed by UF/IFAS, which is different from being cleared, and I want that said plainly. Honest part: nobody agrees on what species this is, how big it gets, or whether it takes salt. I tell you what I see, which is a 6 to 8 ft shrub that smells incredible and sulks in a cold snap.

Care

Well drained soil, slightly acid to neutral, full sun to part shade. Water through establishment, then moderately, and let it dry between waterings. Compost in spring. Prune lightly after a bloom flush to shape it, and not hard, because heavy pruning cuts the next round of flowers. Cover it in a freeze warning or accept some leaf drop.

Common problems

Overwatering. Root rot is how these die. Drained soil and a light hand.

Cold. It is a zone 10 plant and it shows it. Leaf and flower drop in a cold snap, recovery in spring.

Caterpillars, aphids, mealybugs, and spider mites on occasion. Hose, soap, or hand pick. Nothing systemic.

Buying the wrong Radermachera. China doll is the houseplant with no scent that wants shade. Golden tree jasmine is the tall one with yellow flowers and barely any smell. This one is pink and cream and you will know it by the nose.