CHINESE JASMINE: CHARACTERISTICS, CARE, REPRODUCTION, BENEFITS - BIOLOGY - 2025

The Chinese jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum), is a kind of jasmine belongs to the Oleaceae family. It is commonly known as Chinese jasmine, China jasmine, or winter jasmine. It is therefore a plant native to China.

This plant is a climbing species of about 6 m in height, with opposite leaves formed by about 5 or 9 dark green leaflets. The flowers are white on the inside, have a star shape and produce a very pleasant smell.

Jasminum polyanthum or Chinese jasmine. Source: Andrikkos

This species has uses as a decorative wall, it can serve as a kind of tapestry that grows along the ground and is spread on a good organic substrate.

The fragrance of winter jasmine allows you to use this plant as an air freshener in places where it is not affected by a draft. The most important thing about this plant is its use as an aromatic herb, which works as a delicious tea with numerous health benefits.

The benefits of Chinese jasmine tea can be antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiallergic, antistress, antileprotic, antimalarial, it also has hepatoprotective and immunomodulatory activity.

Chinese jasmine has different kinds of alkaloids, glycosides, steroids. On the other hand, linalol, the compound of its essential oil, is used to suppress muscle spasms.

characteristics

Appearance

It is a climbing plant, deciduous, although depending on the climate it can behave as a perennial. Its height can be about 6 m if it is supported on a trunk or structure.

Leaves

The leaves tend to fall when the environmental conditions are not favorable. They are opposite and are made up of 5 to 9 smaller dark green leaves. The terminal leaves are larger than the rest of the leaves.

The petiole measures 0.4 to 2 cm and the leaves look like paper, they present trichomes grouped in the abaxial veins.

Chinese jasmine flowers. Source: KENPEI

Flower

The flowers are arranged in panicles that produce a very pleasant fragrance. They are white on the inside; and pinkish-purple on the outside and when they are in flower buds or buds.

Flowering occurs in spring and lasts a month and a half. Although, in places with warm climates, flowering can occur from the beginning of the year until summer.

The white flowers are star-shaped and consist of five petals that are about 2 cm in diameter.

Fruit

The fruit is a subglobose black berry that measures between 6 and 11 mm in diameter.

Taxonomy

-Kingdom: Plantae

-Filo: Tracheophyta

-Class: Magnoliopsida

-Order: Lamiales

-Family: Oleaceae

-Gender: Jasminum

-Species: Jasminum polyanthum

-Chinese jasmine has many synonyms such as Jasminum blinii, Jasminum delafieldii, Jasminum excellens.

Habitat and distribution

Chinese jasmine occurs naturally in valleys, bushes, and forests. It grows between 1400 and 3000 meters above sea level. Chinese jasmine is sensitive to lack of water.

Its development is better in conditions of direct exposure to the sun, although it is favorable for the plant to receive shade at noon.

Applications

Chinese jasmine is useful for decorating vases, walls, balconies in places where the climate is warm.

It can also be used as a decorative on the walls since it is a climber, or even as a tapestry, thanks to the fact that it can take root all the way and spread in organic substrate with a lot of mulch.

It can also be used as an air freshener in places protected from the wind thanks to the delicate perfume of its flowers. Similarly, Chinese jasmine is considered an aromatic plant (for making tea).

This species is also cultivated to extract an aromatic oil which is traditionally also used as an antispasmodic.

Chinese jasmine plant. Source: Jordi Bosch Janer

Care

Light

It is recommended to plant it in places with direct incidence of the sun, but that can be protected from the midday sun, especially in the summer time.

Floor

It adapts well to light soils, with a lot of humus, with a small sand portion, and they also grow in limestone soils. Likewise, Chinese jasmine can be adapted to pots with a coconut fiber base or those provided with peat mixed with sand, stones or clay fragments.

As the plant is a climbing species, it is necessary to place a guide with the help of a wire.

Fertilization

Chinese jasmine can be topped or fertilized during the growing season with basic mineral concentrations for garden plants.

Pruning

Pruning especially for this species must be aggressive, and is done during the winter to remove dead branches that are dry, diseased or broken. Also with pruning, sprouts at the foot of the plant can be discarded.

On the other hand, pruning makes it possible to eliminate crossed or badly oriented branches that can cause unwanted entanglement in the plant.

The benefit of pruning is that by keeping the branches sparse, the entry of light into their interior is facilitated so that the plant does not age before its time.

Failure to prune for several years will surely allow entanglement between the branches to occur and old flowers, sprouts and dry stumps will remain that reduce the appearance of this species.

In addition to being pruned in winter, it is advisable to do it every time the flowering passes. This practice allows the branches to become stronger, since about 3 buds are left for each flowered bouquet, from which new shoots will emerge for the flowers of the following year.

Irrigation

Watering for Chinese jasmine should be applied frequently. Great care must be taken not to let the substrate dry even during winter. It is important to keep the soil moist, but never saturated.

Reproduction

The multiplication of Chinese jasmine occurs easily through semi-hard cuttings that keep leaves, these are collected in late summer and that are put to root in a greenhouse.

Greenhouse conditions ensure that the cuttings are in a warm location, with good lighting, high humidity, while allowing monitoring of irrigation. In this way, a new Chinese jasmine plant should emerge within a few weeks from the cuttings.

Once the plant begins to grow, it can be attached to a kind of arch so that it develops around it and in this way creates a pleasant aesthetic in the garden, or at the entrance of the houses.

Likewise, this plant can be reproduced from children or layers.

Jasminum polyanthum is a species in the Oleaceae family. Source: B.navez

Chinese jasmine tea benefits

Tea made from this jasmine species has been consumed for many years in Southeast Asia. It has the particularity that it is prepared through the infusion of green tea, plus the fragrance with jasmine flowers.

Likewise, the base of the tea can be another variety in addition to green tea, but this is the one that is most used. To obtain preparations with strong tea flavors, the leaves are mixed with the jasmine flowers as many times as necessary to achieve the desired flavor.

In addition to the pleasant taste and fragrance of this tea, its consumption has many beneficial properties for health. However, its consumption should not be proposed as a treatment for diseases.

Reduces stress and tension

Green tea with the scent of jasmine produces a relaxing, sedative-like effect. This makes it possible to affect both nervous activity and moods.

Along with the aroma, the sweet taste of this tea also favors relaxation.

Benefits oral health

Green tea base contains a large amount of catechin, which is as effective for oral health as any mouthwash with antiseptic properties against plaque on the teeth. In fact, it is proven that the consumption of this tea can reduce the amount of bacteria that cause bad breath.

Lowers cholesterol

Cholesterol is an essential compound of cell membranes, human tissues, it is even found in blood plasma. For this reason, its presence outside normal values ​​can cause clogged arteries and very negatively affect health.

Jasmine tea contains polyphenols, which are associated with lowering bad cholesterol in the body. Thus, its frequent consumption reduces cholesterol levels in the blood, which could reduce heart attacks and strokes.

Avoid colds and flu

The content of polyphenols in jasmine tea also has an antioxidant effect that reduces the development of colds and flu, since it allows to strengthen the body's defenses against a virus attack.

Slimming

Frequent consumption of jasmine tea helps to reduce fat cells in the body, therefore it is good for those who are on weight loss plans.

Stimulates the protection of the intestinal microbiota

Jasmine tea helps as a prebiotic, in turn improving the environment of the colon for better digestion.

Improves blood circulation

This jasmine tea stimulates blood circulation thanks also to the presence of polyphenols. This effect would reduce the formation of blood clots, arterial hypertension, thrombi and cerebrovascular accidents.

Reduces the risk of diabetes

The green tea base of jasmine tea contains a compound known as EGCG, which improves insulin utilization, thereby reducing blood glucose levels.

References

1. Rekha, B., Muthukukumar, C., Bakiyalakshmi, SV, Shakila, G. 2014. In-Vitro Pharmacological Activity of Essential Oil –Linalool from Jasminum polyanthum. Phasmacology & Toxicology Research. 1 (1): 1-6.
2. Catalog of Life: 2019 Annual Checklist. Details of the species Jasminum polyanthum. Taken from: catalogueoflife.org
3. Flora of China. 2019. Jasminum polyanthum. Taken from: efloras.org
4. Graell, E. 2019. Drinking Jasmine Tea: 8 Health Benefits. Magazine about good habits and care for your health. Taken from: mejorconsalud.com
5. Infojardín. 2019. Chinese jasmine, China jasmine, winter jasmine. Taken from: chips.infojardin.com
6. Plant Flower. 2017. Grow white jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum) as a houseplant. Taken from: flordeplanta.com.ar