COMMON NAMES:
Belle of India, Grand Duke, Arabian Jasmine, Grand Duke of Tuscany, Flore Pleno

LATIN NAME:
Jasminum sambac

HISTORY:
This plant has long been revered as a sacred plant of romance and love, and it has been commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant throughout the world. Originally from China and Northern India, jasmine was brought to Europe by the Arabs. With its heady fragrance, it has also been used historically as an aphrodisiac and an aromatic addition to teas. Even to this day, women in Southern India wear strings of the flowers in their hair. In the Philippines, the flowers are strung into, leis, corsages and crowns, and are used to welcome guests and adorn ritual ceremonial shrines.

HERBAL PROPERTIES AND USES:
Jasmine sambac is an anti-depressant, antiseptic, cicatrisant, aphrodisiac, expectorant, anti-spasmodic, galactagogue, sedative, parturient, and uterine. It has been used as an effective cleansing agent, and its bitter, astringent cooling properties make it an effective uterine tonic. It has also been known to increase milk flow in women. Jasmine teas are used in Asia to treat fever, infection, and urinary inflammation.

Jasmine Sambac Cultivation and Growing Methods

ANNUAL/PERRENIAL PLANT:
Perennial evergreen vine or shrub.

PARTS USED:
Flowers

SOIL REQUIREMENTS:
Moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic peat moss, compost or humus.

SUN REQUIREMENTS:
Thrives best in full sun to partial shade, with a minimum temperature of 60° F.

HEIGHT:
6-10 ft (1.8-3.1 m) high

SPACING:
Space seedlings around 20cm apart for smaller varieties, and 40cm apart for larger ones.

GROWING ZONES:
Grows well in U.S. Zones 9-11.

PLANTING TIME:
Plant seedlings indoors in early spring, or sow seeds on the surface of soil after the last frost of spring. Does best in pots in summer. Bring plant indoors during the winter.

POLLINATION:
Easy propagation from cuttings taken from more mature stems taken in the summer.

FLOWERING/SEEDING TIME:
Seed germination occurs from one to three weeks after planting. Jasmine Sambac blooms throughout the summer, and in warmer climates, can bloom continually.

HARVESTING:
Flowers can be harvested as they open in spring and summer. It is best to harvest the flowers in the early morning when the flowers are closed. This will reduce damage done to the flowers. Pick individually, or small branches holding the flowers.

DRYING METHODS / YIELD:
Pick individual flowers and leave them in a cool dry place to dry out. If you have picked branches/bunches of them, tie them in bunches and hang them in a cool, dry location.

PLANT YIELD:
Triple 1,5" flower and Double 2" flowers bloom year-round in warmer climates, with larger flowers blooming in the summer.

PRESERVATION / PACKAGING METHODS:
Flower buds may be stored in an airtight glass container for up to one year.

ESSENTIAL OIL USE:
Extensive use as an essential oil perfume, as well as medicinal purposes. Particularly used as a sedative, anti-depressant, and is used for the treatment of general stress and nervous exhaustion. It is also an excellent oil for overall skin health.

PLANT CHEMICALS:
Jasmine contains over 100 chemical constituents, including salicylic acid, linalool, and other alkaloids.

IS THIS AN EDIBLE PLANT:
Yes

CAUTIONS / CONTRAINDICATIONS:
Jasmine is considered to be a non-toxic, non-irritant safe oil. There are no known contraindications for use, although excess use may lead to impeded concentration. An emmenagogue, it should not be used by pregnant and breast-feeding women.

DRUG INTERACTIONS:
None to date, but care should be taken with all herbal medicines.

Clinical Research About Jasmine Sambuc

• Evaluation of allelopathic, decomposition and cytogenetic activities of Jasminum officinale L. f. var. grandiflorum (L.) Kob. on bioassay plants. Teerarak M, Laosinwattana C, Charoenying P. Bioresour Technol. 2010 Mar 2. [PMID: 20199861]
• Stimulating effect of aromatherapy massage with jasmine oil. Hongratanaworakit T. Nat Prod Commun. 2010 Jan;5(1):157-62. [PMID: 20184043]

 

References

1. Gray, Linda. Grow Your Own Pharmacy. 1992. HYPERLINK "http://www.botanical.com"
2. Greenhouse gardener's companion: growing food and flowers in your greenhouse. Shane Smith, Marjorie C. Leggitt. p.211. http://books.google.com/books?id=Onv60-c6iEIC&pg=PA211&dq=growing+Jasmine+Sambac
3. The World of Aromatherapy. Rose, et. al. p. 189. http://books.google.com/books?id=2q7bPn4pgxIC&pg=PA188&dq=growing+Jasmine+Sambac
4. Jasminum Sambac. HYPERLINK "http://www.floridata.com/ref/J/jasm_sam.cfm"
5. HYPERLINK "http://aromatherapy.suite101.com/article.cfm/jasmine_essential_oil"