Chameli Flower Plant- 10 Best Varieties, Care Guide & History

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Have you ever thought about the meaning of jasmine? It comes from the Persian word ” Yasmin“, which stands for ” A Present From The God “. Jasmine or Chameli flower is loved for its solid & sweet aromatic blooms; the fragrance is so refreshing that it uplifts your mood, which makes it feel like you have taken a perfumed dopamine shot; you can find them in your day-to-day products like perfumes, candles, skin care lotions & candles. In many cultures, it symbolizes love, grace & sensuality. So there’s no question why Jasmine is so special.

A good friend asked me, once you smell the jasmine flower like you are inhaling drugs, what is unique about jasmine flowers? He wondered; for me, it brings that soothing nostalgic feel that takes me into my childhood days when, after waking, the first smell I got was from the jasmine flowers from my backyard.

The most popular & common chameli flower is Jasminum officinale, also known as summer jasmine.

Cool Facts About Jasmine or Chameli Flower

• These scented beauties have a broad variety with over 200 species.
  
• You can also enjoy its flavor & aroma by having a cup of jasmine tea.
  
• According to Ayurveda & Chinese medicine tradition, jasmine is also used for treating indigestion, anxiety, and insomnia.
  
• Mosquitoes & other insects hate its complex aroma.
  
• In India, Jasmine bangles / Gajra is used as an offering to their loved ones as a romantic gesture.
  
• In Hinduism, the jasmine flower is used as an offering to a god.

Jasmine Flower Origin

The origin of this plant is dubious. It is said that this gorgeous white blooming beauty originated in Iran ( Persia ), but undoubtedly, it is the first plant that has been grown for its aromatic properties. After the Persian Empire, Egypt also started cultivating it in 1000 BCE; They used these flowers for decorating tombs & infusing jasmine fragrance into their lavish hot baths.

During 300 BCE, Indian Tamil poets wrote verses about the Chameli flower. During 206 BCE, Chinese Emperors of the Han Dynasty also used jasmine flowers to infuse their scent into black tea.

Arabians introduced jasmine to Europeans in the 1500s, and since then, European jasmine has been one of the finest and most popular jasmine cultivations. In the 1700s, a variety called Jasminum Sambac was found in the Philippines. Jasmine is considered as the national flower in Syria, Indonesia & Pakistan.

Propagation Techniques Of Chameli Flower

Things to check before propagating

Sharp Tool

Choosing a sharp tool will ensure that your cut is clean and proper, which improves the chances of better plant propagation.

Sterilizing Your Tool

Sterilizing your cutting tool before using it is essential to lower the chances of infection. You can use water & bleach solution, any household disinfectant, or wipes for sterilizing your tool.

Choosing the right time is crucial

The right time for propagating outdoor jasmine varieties is in Winter, and for indoor varieties, spring – and summer are perfect.

Preparing Pot or Land

If you plant it in a pot, a pot with 45 diameter and drainage holes is perfect. If you are going to plant jasmine in a land like your backyard or outdoor garden, then follow these steps :

Step 1 – Dig a 30 x 30 x 30 cm pit one month before the plantation.
Step 2 – Prepare a mix of farmyard manure, soil & sand in a ratio of 2:1:1 and fill the pit with the prepared mixture.
Step 3 – Water it properly so that the mixture settles down.

Sowing Seeds

Growing a jasmine plant with seeds seems easy, but sometimes greenhorns find it difficult to germinate seeds. First, you will need top-quality jasmine seeds you can purchase from reputable shops; choose seeds according to your climatic and growing conditions. The best time for sowing chameli seeds is from June to November.

Here are tips For You

To increase the chances of seed germination, soak them in water and leave them for one night before sowing.

Cuttings

Growing plants from cutting is the most common and easiest way of doubling your plant, making your garden, backyard, or patio more gorgeous and fragrant with its aromatic blooms. Here is a step-by-step guide to growing chameli plant from cutting: –

• First, you must look for a healthy-looking stem with new and green leaves.
  
• Spot a leaf node and make a sharp cut just below it. Cut 3-4 cuttings from the jasmine plant of 4-6 inches to increase the chances of successfully propagating a new plant.
  
• Remove the lower leaves, buds & flowers from the cutting.
  
• Prepare a pot filled with soil mix.
  
• Dip the lower part of the cutting in a rooting hormone for quick growth and plant it in the pot.

Air Layering

It’s an advanced method many propagators use to make a new plant from the parent plant. In this technique, they select a healthy stem and develop a root on that stem while it’s still attached to the plant. If you want to propagate a plant with this method, select a healthy stem, which should be at least 1 foot in height from its tip. Spot a node and remove all the twigs and leaves below the node.

The process is different for monocots and dicots. Jasmine is a dicot plant, so you have to circularly cut approximately 1 inch of bark from the selected stem and make two parallel cuts about an inch away from each other. Dip the sphagnum moss into the water, and after squeezing the water out, wrap it around the wounded area with the help of plastic, electrical tape, or aluminum foil, whichever you want.

When the root emerges from the moss, slash the stem below it, and your new plant is ready to get its pot. You can apply the same techniques on dicotyledonous plants like honeysuckles. Here is a comparison guide on Jasmine Vs honeysuckle.

Tissue Culture

It’s a Pro technique used for propagating plants with similar genetic identity; with the help of tissue culture, propagators can develop thousands of new disease-free plants from the parent plant.

Types Of Jasmine Plants

All love the sweet, scented aroma of jasmine flowers. They have over 200 species, but not all chameli flowers have that refreshing floral fragrance. Jasmine plants come in the form of trees, vines, and shrubs; some are evergreen & some are deciduous and can be used for decorating.

Common Jasmine

Species – Jasminum Officinale
Sun Exposure – Full Sunlight To Partial Shade
Plant Zone – 7-10

Common jasmine is known by many names, such as summer jasmine, poet’s jasmine, and simple jasmine. It’s a climber that sheds leaves and flowers in autumn and blooms star-shaped white fragrant flowers in summer. You can plant them in well-draining soil, where they need complete to partial sunlight for active growth.

Arabian Jasmine

Species – Jasminum Sambac
Sun Exposure – Full Sunlight To Partial Shade
Plant Zone – 9 -11

Arabian jasmine is a popular variety grown in tropical Asia. This variety is an evergreen shrub that blooms gorgeous white chameli flowers all year round in clusters. When they start flowering, you will see 3-12 flowers at the tip of every branch. Arabian jasmine is best for landscaping backyards and gardens and can be easily propagated with the help of cuttings and air layering techniques.

Arabian jasmine comes in different-shaped leaves and corolla ( petals of the flower are collectively known as corolla ) because of their various cultivars.

1. Maid Of Orleans – This jasmine flower blooms with single layered oval-shaped petals and is commonly known as Sampaguita in the Philippines and mogra or Bela in India.
   
2. Belle Of India – This variety has extended petals in single or double layers.
   
3. Grand Duke Of Tuscany – People call this variety Rose jasmine because of its doubled petaled flowers that resemble white roses. This variety is not for you if you are looking for intricate scented chameli flowers.
   
4. Mysore Mallige – The flowers of Mysore Mallige look like the ” Belle Of India ” but have tiny petals and a cosmic aroma.
   
5. Arabian Nights – It blooms in double-layered flowers with little petals.

Winter Jasmine

Species – Jasminum Nudiflorum
Sun Exposure – Full sunlight to partial shade
Plant Zone – 6 -10

Winter jasmine is a stunning deciduous shrub that can reach a height of 4 feet and is a must-have plant if you are creating a landscape garden. You can also grow them as vines and train them to cover a trellis or stone walls; they bloom gorgeous tubular yellow-colored flowers that start creating their foliage in late winter and continue till early spring.

Downey Jasmine

Species – Jasminum Multiflorum
Sun Exposure – Full sunlight to partial shade
Plant Zone – 8a – 11b

It’s an evergreen cascading shrub that blooms fragrant star-like eight-petaled flowers with a downy texture.
This is for you if you want an easy-to-care and hardy jasmine plant. It will be a stylish touch to any landscape. Downy jasmine can grow up to a height of 3 feet. It will thrive at its best when provided 3-6 hours of morning sunlight and weekly watering.

Angel Wing Jasmine

Species – Jasminum Nitidum
Sun Exposure – Full sunlight to partial shade
Plant Zone – 10 – 11

With its angel-like petals and breathtaking sweet aroma, angel wing jasmine is here to give us a sensational feeling. It’s a shrub that will spread quickly and can be used as a filler plant. It can reach up to a height of 10 feet with the help of a support. If you have any outdoor sitting area, you can plant angel wings near it; you can also plant them parallel to your entrance door or alongside a walkway to enjoy its angelic fragrance to its fullest.

Primrose Jasmine

Species – Jasminum Mesnyi
Sun Exposure – Full sunlight to partial shade
Plant Zone – 8 – 10

Primrose jasmine is a fast-growing evergreen shrub that blooms fragrant bright yellow flowers in spring and summer; according to Wikipedia, Jasminum mesnyi was honored with the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. After touching the ground, its stem starts rooting, and the plant starts spreading its foliage; the primrose chameli flower creates gorgeous and eye-catching foliage trailing and cascading over fences and walls.

Pink Jasmine

Species – Jasminum Polyanthum
Sun Exposure – Full sunlight to partial shade
Plant Zone – 8 – 11

It’s a semi-evergreen vining variety with shiny green leaves, white-pink flowers, and an immense aroma. Pink jasmine, also known as white jasmine, is an alluring flower that starts blooming in late winter and keeps spreading its beauty till summer. You can use them as ground cover or train them to cover a trellis or arbor.

Forest Jasmine

Species – Jasminum Abyssinicum
Sun Exposure – Full sunlight
Plant Zone – 8a – 11b

Forest jasmine is a woody climbing vine native to Africa with oval-shaped and dark, glossy green leaves. This plant blooms white-scented flowers with a little pinkish shade outside. People of Kenya, especially Maasai, use this plant to treat wounds. Forest jasmine starts blooming its flower in late spring, and it blooms till early summer.

Royal Jasmine

Species – Jasminum Nobile or Jasminum Rex
Sun Exposure – Full Sunlight to Partial Shade
Plant Zone – 10 – 11

Royal jasmine, known as king jasmine, is an evergreen, alluring climber with showy white flowers and oval-shaped mid-green leaves. This chameli flower is native to Thailand, and with proper care, it can reach a height of 2-3 meters.

Dwarf Jasmine

Species – Chryso Jasminum Parker
Sun Exposure – Full Sunlight to Partial Shade
Plant Zone – 9 – 10

The sweet scent of dwarf jasmine is like roses mixed with a fruity fragrance. This variety is native to the western Himalayas and can reach 4 – 6 feet. This jasmine shrub blooms yellow-colored tiny five-lobed trumpet-shaped flowers in summer. You can also plant dwarf jasmine in containers and give them some ornamental shapes for an attractive look.

Chameli Flower Plant Care

The aromatic flowers from the jasminum species are loved by all, and they will transform the look of your yard or garden, filling it with heavenly fragrance. It has multiple species that grow as shrubs, vines, and trees, some of which can also be grown as houseplants. With optimal care and maintenance, they will keep rewarding you with gorgeous flowers.

Soil

Making perfect soil is the first and the most crucial part of plant care: The chameli plant requires rich and well-draining soil to thrive at its best; making a mixture of regular soil, compost, sand, coco peat & fungicide for creating a perfect potting mix.

Water

Jasmine planted on land, like in your yard or garden, requires weekly watering, more often in summer. Both jasmine vine & shrub love to grow in soil that is not too dry or wet; water your potted jasmine when the upper layer of soil feels dry after touching it.

Sunlight

Most of the jasmine vine and shrub thrives well in full sunlight or partial shade plants where it can get 5-6 hours of morning sunlight; if you live in a region where summer heat goes on intense mode, use green nets for protecting your plants.

Fertiliser

I recommend using organic slow-release and phosphorus-rich fertilizer for your jasmine plant. The best time for feeding your scented beauties is in spring and summer. Also, feed them with fertilizer after pruning; they need more energy to regenerate their foliage. You must read the label on the fertilizer bottle for a dosage guide. Some of the best homemade Fertiliser For Jasmine Plant are –

• Banana Peel Fertilizer
  
• Eggshell Tea
  
• Epsom Salt Solution
  
• Homemade Compost
  
• Wood Ash

Pruning Tips For Chameli Flower

The best time to prune your jasmine plants is when they have crossed their blooming season. Summer jasmine plants give you alluring flowers till fall, and Winter jasmine flowering season starts in late winter, and they bloom till early spring.

1. Check for diseased, damaged stems and slay them off.
   
2. Tangled and old stems that don’t bloom are of no use.
   
3. Always select sharp and sterilized tools for pruning.

To get the maximum look from your jasmine vine, train jasmine to grow on a wall, trellis, or pergola; it will also give them support, which will help them climb and grow stronger.

Jasmine Plant Pests & Treatment

If your jasmine plant starts showing these signals like drooping leaves, sticky or white stuff on your plant, or bitten leaves, don’t ignore these things. It can be a pest attack on your plant. It affects the plant’s growth rate and blooming cycle and can sometimes damage your plant to the extent that they didn’t survive. Let’s see how jasmine plants and pests can be tackled.

• Aphids
  
• Caterpillars
  
• Budworm
  
• Leaf Rollers
  
• Webworms
  
• Mites

Aphids

These are common garden pests that survive on feeding sap from plants. If you ignore them, they can double their population during the growing season and become a reason for stunted plant growth; if you are witnessing yellow foliage curled leaves, then aphids show affection for your plant.

Treatment

• You can use the pressure of bottle spray to knock them off from your plant.
  
• You can take help from other insects like lady beetles and lacewings to destroy them; they are their natural enemies.
  
• Using neem oil spray can also help to deter them.

Caterpillar

You must watch your plant to see traces of feeding holes and rolled leaves. If you see any eggs or caterpillars on the leaf, prune the leaf or the stem and transfer them to other trees if you don’t want to kill them.

Treatment

• Small birds and assassin bugs are their natural enemies.
  
• I prefer using insecticides like BTK only when damage is intolerable.

Budworm

As their name budworms feed on the new buds of the plant and eat them inside out. Budworms are moth caterpillars, and their damage is at peak level in hot weather.

Treatment

• Applying pesticides before the larva starts to hatch is the perfect solution if you hate budworms.
  
• You can also rely upon simple methods like manually checking buds for holes and removing the infected ones.

Leaf Rollers

These tiny caterpillars make a nest by rolling off the leaves of their host plant and consuming it from inside. If your plant is infested with these pests, it’s a problem and may lead to defoliation.

Treatment

• 1-2 leaf rollers are not something to be concerned about; you can easily cut the damaged leaf along with the caterpillar to get rid of them.
  
• You can use Bacillus thuringiensis ( which works as a stomach poison ) to eliminate them.

Webworms

These caterpillars weave webs to make a nest on the leaves and then eat all the leaves inside their nest. They can cover a large area of your plant or tree in groups.

Treatment

• When infestation is on small vines and shrubs, you can remove them physically with a stick.
  
• You can use a pesticide or bacterium called BT to kill webworms.

Mites

Spider mites are one of the most seen pests in gardens, and spotting them is very easy because of their greenish appearance. Spider mites are unchallenging when it comes to controlling them.

Treatment

• You can use a garden spray bottle to shoot spider mites from your plants.
  
• Using insecticides that contain permethrin is also an option.
  
• Spraying neem oil will also control their population.