Jasminum sambac also called as Arabian jasmine plant, Sambac jasmine, is a species in the genus Jasminum. It is highly esteemed for its attractive, white colour and a fragrant flower and has a pride of place in the heart of every woman.
Jasminum sambac also called as Arabian jasmine plant, Sambac jasmine, is a species in the genus Jasminum. It is highly esteemed for its attractive, white colour and a fragrant flower and has a pride of place in the heart of every woman.
In Fragrance industry, jasmine has unique importance and popularity due to its unique sweet fragrance like that of rose, vetiver and represents a type that cannot be exactly imitated at present by a mixture of any known synthetic aroma chemicals or natural isolates. The extracts of jasmine are used for flavoring or preparation of ‘Jasmine scented Tea' in China and ‘Jasmine rice' in Bangkok, Thailand. The antioxidant properties has the potential to induce weight loss and to reduce serum and hepatic lipid levels through the increase of leptin level which address the burning problems of fattiness and obesity.
In addition to use as fresh flowers for making garlands and bouquets, for religious offerings, etc., now a days jasmine is emerging as an important industrial flower crop and also used for production of essential oils in the form of ‘concrete’ and ‘absolute’ used in cosmetic and perfumery industries and as a source of aroma chemicals and food flavoring industries.
IDENTIFY JASMINUM SAMBAC - ARABIAN JASMINE PLANT
Jasminum sambac was distributed in Asia-tropical and Asia-temperate. It was one of the most cultivated species in many countries in Asia.
Arabian jasmine plant is an evergreen vine or shrub reaching up to 0.5 to 3 m tall with ovate, glabrous, opposite or in whorls of three, 4 to 12.5 cm long and 2 to 7.5 cm wide leaves. It blooms throughout the year and produce flowers in clusters of 3 to 12 together at the ends of branches. The flowers are strongly scented, open at night (usually around 6 to 8 in the evening), and close in the morning, a span of 12 to 20 hours.
The flowers of Jasminum sambac were used in the preparation of an essential oil and for making jasmine tea. The flowers are bitter, pungent, cooling, braintonic, purgative, cure tridosha, biliousness, itching sensation, fever, stop vomiting, useful in the diseases of eye, ear, mouth, used in skin diseases, leprosy and ulcers. The flowers were also used for the treatment of diarrhea, abdominal pain, conjunctivitis, asthma, cancer, wound healing, toothache and dermatitis. The leaves were used to heal the wounds.
The flowers and leaf were also used in folk medicine to prevent and treat breast cancer. The flowers were used by the women when brewed as a tonic as it aids in preventing breast cancer and stopping uterine bleeding. The plant was included in herbal preparations for the treatment of insanity and epilepsy.
In Malaysia, women used the soaked flowers to wash the face. The flowers were applied as a poultice to the breasts of women as a lactifuge.
The leaves and roots of the plant were used traditionally in the treatment of inflammation, fever and pain.
Jasmine oil has a wide range of medicinal applications and was used in perfumery, soaps, flavorings and the cosmetic industry. Medicinally, it was used for the treatment of dry, greasy, irritated and sensitive skin, irritating coughs, alleviating muscular pain and treating sprains, antidepressant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, sedative and uterine tonic.
JASMINUM SAMBAC - ARABIAN JASMINE PLANT CARE AND CULTURE
Cultural information should only be used as a guide, and should be to be adapted to suit you. Your physical location; where you grow your plants, how much time you have to devote to their care, and many other factors, will need to be taken into account. Only then can you decide on the cultural methods that best suit you and your plants.
Light:
Jasminum sambac will grow under full sun conditions, although afternoon shade will help to maintain a darker green foliage while still providing ample flowers. If grown in full sun at lower latitudes their foliage may yellow somewhat during the heat of summer.
These are tropical plants and so do relish a certain amount of humidity, with that in mind we prefer to grow them out doors at least during the warmer months of the year and typically they will reward you for it with growth and their wonderfully fragrant flowers.
When grown indoors provide your Jasmines with as much direct sunlight as possible, they will tolerate high light conditions but will flower more and produce more vigorous and healthier plants with direct sunlight.
Temperature:
Arabian jasmine plant require night temperatures of 17- 19°C and daytime of 22°C. They should be protected from freezing temperatures, although they are reported to be root hardy in zone 9 they will flower more and become larger plants if protected from such conditions.
Substrate and growing media:
Jasminum sambac will need a good quality well-draining somewhat acidic potting soil. The variety ‘Grand Duke of Tuscany’ is slower growing than the single flowered types which makes it a good choice for container culture and it has the advantage that it’s wonderfully fragrant double gardenia-like flowers last a good deal longer than the single ones. If and when you do uppot your Jasmine go up by no more than one container size at a time. If it’s in a 6” pot uppot it to an 8 or 10” pot but no larger, if it’s in a 4” pot step up to a 6”. The reasoning behind this is that if you have too much soil it may stay too wet for too long of a period and can set the plant up for disease problems.
Watering:
Arabian jasmine plant has average water requirements but will sulk if kept too wet and can succumb to root rot if kept overly wet. The easiest way to determine if it's time to water them is by sticking your finger in the soil to the depth of your first knuckle, if the soil feels dry and room temperature it is probably time to water, if the soil feels moist and cool, then it's not yet time to water.
When watering, water from the top and let the water drain into the saucer, after 30-40 minutes dump out any excess water left standing in the saucer, if all of the water was soaked up from the saucer, the plant may require a second watering.
Leaving your plants sitting in a saucer of water will often lead to suffocation of the root system for lack of air and will promote fungal and disease problems and in the case of Sambac Jasmine root rot.
Over time, you will become more familiar with how much and how often to water your plants. If at any time, the soil becomes so dry as to shrink away from the sides of the pot, you may need to water it thoroughly several times or soak the entire pot, in a container of water until the soil has become fully re-saturated, this could take up to 1-2 hours to complete.
Fertilizer:
Jasminum sambac need a soil rich in nutrients to grow and flower. As they flower on new growth it is important that they have the resources available to maintain plant health and vigor. A combination of periodic liquid fertilizing and a good quality balanced slow release fertilize will help to achieve that. A good rule of thumb is to apply about one tablespoon of a fertilize similar to Osmocote 14-14-14 to the soil’s surface about once every 3 months at the start of and during the growing season.
Pruning:
These Jasmines are somewhat scandent shrubs that can produce long canes from time to time that allows for the plant to be espaliered on a trellis or other vertical support if so desired. If you prefer to keep it in a shrub form simply prune it to the desired form and head back any extra long canes.
Pests and diseases:
Pests and diseases are not usually a problem with this plant but it is important to be aware of the ones that most commonly affect them. Sambac Jasmine is susceptible to a variety of sap sucking insects and heavy infestations can cause the plant to go into decline. White flies, Scales, and Mealybugs are all common pests on these plants and can usually be easily controlled through mechanical or chemical means. If the surface of your foliage is turning black like it has a soot-like mold on it, this is usually a good indication that one of these pests may have made a home on your plant. Horticultural oil is a good choice but will have to be applied, following all directions on the product label, up to 4 times at 1-week intervals to fully eradicate the pests. Another important thing to note is that most of these insects live underneath the leaves and so this is where we start looking for infestations and where spray must be applied in order to be effective.
I love the way the Arabian Jasmin smells. It's heavenly.
ReplyDeleteI love the Arabian Jasmin. I always remember them from my grandmother's garden in Iran so I bought some here in Florida to grow and enjoy remembering my grandmother and mother.
ReplyDeleteA lot of women love the scent of jasmine, so does my wife! She always uses a little corner of my desk and leaves some jasmine flowers there. Since then, every time I smell jasmine, I think of my wife, like a natural reflex!
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