Winter jasmine

Winter jasmine: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Shrub with long, arching twigs; against a wall 2–3 m tall and about as wide, or cascading over a low wall or bank.

Leaf

Opposite, trifoliate with 3 small (1–3 cm), untoothed, dark green leaflets; deciduous.

Twigs

Green, square twigs that stay green in winter; they root where they touch the ground.

Flower

Bright yellow flowers (2–3 cm) with 5–6 lobes, single in the leaf axils on the bare twigs, November–March; unscented.

Fruit

Rarely sets fruit here.

Difference from forsythia

Forsythia is a shrub with simple leaves and grey-brown twigs that only flowers in March–April.

Difference from common jasmine

Common jasmine has white, strongly scented flowers in summer and pinnate leaves.

Flowering: December–March · Pruning: March–April

Identify by feature: Yellow flowers in spring · Winter flowers

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Forsythia Forsythia: a shrub with simple leaves and grey-brown twigs that only flowers in March–April. Difference from forsythia
• Common jasmine Jasminum officinale: white, strongly scented flowers in summer and pinnate leaves. Difference from common jasmine

Why grow it?

• Yellow flowers in the middle of winter, from November to March.
• Grows in sun, partial shade and shade, even against a north-facing wall.
• The green twigs look fresh even in winter.
• Easy, fully hardy and rarely troubled by disease.
• Twigs in bud open quickly in a vase indoors: a winter bouquet.

Winter jasmine: where does it grow best?

• Sun, partial shade or shade; it flowers most freely in sun, but also flowers well against a north-facing wall.
• Any soil that is not too wet.
• It doesn’t climb by itself: tie the long twigs to wires, mesh or a trellis against a wall or fence. It has no aerial roots or tendrils and does not damage walls or gutters.
• Ideal for cascading over a low wall, a flight of steps or the edge of a raised bed or bank; there it needs no support.

Light

Sun to shade

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Normal

Size

3 m tall, 3 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Wintersweet: Flowers at the same time and is strongly scented: it makes up for the scentless winter jasmine.
• Winter heath: A low, evergreen shrub that flowers pink or white in winter and early spring at the foot of the wall.
• Witch hazel: Yellow or orange, fragrant flowers in January–February: another winter bloomer for the same garden.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Tolerates shade and suits planting under large trees such as: ginkgo, box elder, ash, honey locust, field maple, silver maple
• Can climb into old, large trees: english oak, scots pine, sycamore, large-leaved lime

Winter jasmine: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant in autumn or spring; from a pot almost all year, except in frost or drought.
2. Plant 30–40 cm from the wall and tie in the longest twigs as a fan.
3. At the top of a low wall: plant on the edge and let the twigs hang down.
4. On a bank, plant every 1–1.5 m; the twigs root by themselves and quickly cover the bank.

Care

Watering

In dry spells during the first year; rarely needed after that.

Feeding

Not needed; some compost in spring if it grows poorly.

Tying in

Every year after pruning, tie the new, long twigs to the support.

Rooting twigs

Twigs that touch the ground take root: cut them off if you don’t want them, or use them to propagate the plant.

Tip: Plant it by the front door or along a path you often use in winter: that is where you will enjoy its flowers most.

Winter jasmine: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March–April.

When: Straight after flowering, in March–April.

How:

• It flowers on last year’s twigs: cut the flowered twigs back to a few buds.
• Every year, remove a few old, bare branches at the base, so that young twigs can replace them.
• A neglected, bare plant can be cut back to about 50 cm above the ground after flowering; it will flower less the following year.

Caution: Don’t prune after April: the twigs that grow in summer carry the flowers for the following winter.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Layering

Twigs that touch the ground root by themselves: cut a rooted twig free and replant it.

Cuttings

10–15 cm cuttings root easily in a small pot, in summer or autumn.

Winter jasmine: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Fully hardy.
• Open flowers can turn brown in hard frost; buds that are still closed open normally afterwards.
• It flowers from November to March, most freely in mild spells.

Diseases and pests

• Bare, tangled shrub: A dense mass of dead and bare twigs with flowers only at the top, from too little pruning. Remove old branches or cut the plant back hard after flowering.
• Few flowers: Usually pruned too late in the year, or too much shade. Only prune in March–April.
• Aphids: Aphids on the young shoots in spring. Spray with water; ladybirds and tits do the rest.

Through the year

• January: Full flower; cut twigs in bud for a winter bouquet.
• February: Flowering; open flowers can turn brown in hard frost.
• March: Pruning after flowering: shorten the flowered twigs.
• April: Last pruning; tie new twigs to the support.
• June: Tie in new twigs; take cuttings.
• October: Planting.
• November: The first yellow flowers.
• December: Flowering, even in light frost.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Yellow flowers in the middle of winter against a wall, over a low wall or on a bank; also on a north-facing wall.

Also used for

Twigs in bud open quickly in a vase indoors: a winter bouquet.

Did you know?

• Not a true climber: its long twigs lean against a support or hang over a wall. Unlike most jasmines, the flowers have no scent.
• ‘Nudiflorum’ means ‘naked-flowered’: the flowers appear on the bare twigs, without leaves.
• The plant hunter Robert Fortune brought it from China to England in 1844.