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Jasminum leratii (Privet-leaved Jasmine) - An evergreen shrubby vine that if given support will climb up as high as 12 feet but without support remains shrubby and can be kept to 4-6 feet tall with pruning. It has lanceolate glossy, 1 to 2 inch long, dark green leaves that are borne on thin reddish stems. Clusters of 3/4 inch long white flowers appear along the stems in spring and sporadically all year long.
It prefers sun to bright shade and regular watering. We have had reports of this plant being hardy to 20°F but have experienced damage on our nursery plants at 26° F. The foliage of this plant resembles a privet leaf and for many years this plant was sold under the name Jasminum ligustifolium in reference to the name for the privet genus, Ligustrum. It has a similar look to Star Jasmine, Trachelospermum jasminoides, but the leaves are finer in texture, and the bloom texture and fragrance are a bit more delicate.
Jasminum leratii is native to New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands. The genus name is a Latinized word that Carl Linnaeus made from the Persian 'yasameen' which means a "gift from God". The specific epithet honors the French botanist Auguste-Joseph Le Rat (1872–1910) who collected widely in New Caledonia. In 1962 the British botanist Peter Shaw Green authored in the Journal of the Arnold Arboretum his "Studies in Jasminum" about the New Caledonian Jasmine species where he noted the close relationship between Jasminum leratii, Jasminum simplicifolium and Jasminum volubile but left them as separate species in this work. Current treatment has this taxon as both of these as subspecies of Jasminum simplicifolium and with this plants current name Jasminum simplicifolium ssp. leratii and the plant previously known as Jasminum volubile being Jasminum simplicifolium ssp. australiense.
We first listed this plant under the name Jasminum ligustifolium in 1983 but by 1985 listed it as Jasminum leratii. This plant was listed as growing in Santa Barbara by 1917 and there are beautiful specimens around town, including large shrubs in Alice Keck Park Memorial Garden downtown.
Information displayed on this page about Jasminum leratii is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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