Stephanotis floribunda seed
LATIN NAME: Stephanotis floribunda
COMMON NAME: Madagascar Jasmine
The Madagascar jasmine is a fine, twining, evergreen climber of the warm regions, and its waxy, white, trumpet-shaped flowers are among the most fragrant of all the climbing plants. The glossy, oval, dark-green leaves form a dense, twining mass on the trellis or the wall, and the clusters of the white flowers open through the warm season, filling the evening air with a sweet perfume. The flowers are a familiar of the bridal bouquets and the warm-climate gardens. It is a fine, generous, fragrant climber for the warm, sheltered spot.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Madagascar jasmine has a steady place in the plant science, and it has been studied for its fragrant, waxy flowers and its place among the warm-climate climbers. The sweet scent of the flowers, which has a long history of use, has been looked at closely, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the fragrant climbers and the ornamental vines of the warm regions. The glossy, evergreen leaves and the long flowering season have made it a favourite of the greenhouse and the conservatory, and the plant is a regular subject of the horticultural journals of the warm world.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
The Madagascar jasmine is grown for the fragrance, and the waxy, white flowers are a familiar of the bridal bouquets, the corsages and the warm-climate gardens. The sweet scent fills the evening air, and the glossy, evergreen vine is a fine cover for the trellis, the wall and the pergola. In the cooler gardens it makes a fine greenhouse or conservatory plant, flowering for a long stretch through the warm season. It has been written up in the horticultural papers for its fragrance and its fine, glossy foliage, and it is a generous, easy climber for the warm, sheltered spot.
The Madagascar jasmine comes from the warm forests of the island it is named for, where it climbs high into the trees and fills the air with its fragrance. The waxy, white, trumpet-shaped flowers are so fine and so fragrant that they have been a favourite of the bridal work and the warm-climate gardens for a very long time. The glossy, oval, dark-green leaves form a dense, twining mass, and the flowers open in clusters through the warm season, scenting the evening air. In the cooler gardens it makes a fine greenhouse or conservatory plant, flowering freely against a warm wall or a trellis.
To grow the Madagascar jasmine from seed, nick the dark, flat seeds lightly with a file and let them soak in warm water for a few hours, then sow them at a shallow depth in pots of moist, free-draining soil, keep them in a warm, bright, sheltered spot and water gently. The seedlings thread up in good time and grow on into twining young vines that like the warmth and the light shade of the middle of the day. Give them a warm, sheltered spot with the support to climb, and the fragrant white flowers will reward the patience.
Common name Madagascar jasmine, bridal wreath, floradora
Botanical name Stephanotis floribunda
Group Evergreen climber
Flowering time May to October
Planting time April
Height and spread Up to 3-6m (10-20ft)
Aspect Greenhouse or conservatory
Hardiness Tender (10ºC min)
Difficulty Moderate
Seed
Stephanotis occasionally produce pear-like fruit 10cm (4in) long. These may take 12 months to ripen and, if necessary, can be picked and placed in a warm spot to ripen.
When the seeds are ripe, the fruit will begin to split. Ease the two halves apart to reveal a silken sheath enclosing the seeds in the centre of the fruit. Even after several months, the plume-attached seeds may be a little moist, but will soon dry when exposed to the air and can become airbourne with the slightest movement
Sow the seed fresh using a general-purpose, seed compost and maintain at 21-24°C (70-75°F). If you are unable to provide heat and good light (such as in winter), keep the seed cool and sowin April
When large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into compost or other good potting medium
Seeds from Stephanotis floribunda Madagascar Jasmine Waxflower, Hawaiian Wedding Flower. Its fragrant trumpet shaped blooms are in season year-round, and are a popular component of bridal bouquets. It is vigorous climber, tough stemmed, bearing dark green leathery leaves, which grow in pairs at regular intervals along the vine. Stephanotis floribunda grows best in sunny, tropical conditions, or inside. They can grow from 6-18 feet, and are widely cultivated as garden plants. Use well drained soil and fertilize once a month. A great indoor plant. Sun to part shade