Today’s plant, the Madagascar jasmine, has a botanical name, Stephanotis, which is Greek. Stephanos means crown and otis means ear. These two words refer to the shape of the flowers which are tubular with 5 petals growing in clusters.
With August replacing June for the month of weddings, Stephanotis flowers will surely be in demand. They are frequently used by florists for buttonholes, bridal bouquets and wreaths.
Stephanotis has dark green shiny leaves and produces axillary clusters of beautiful waxy, heavily scented flowers, making it a must for brides.
Stephanotis grows well, but make sure it has enough room to climb and spread. It is a climber, so train the plant to climb on a trellis or arch, and you will be rewarded with many clusters of heavily scented flowers.
However, you can also grow Stephanotis in a pot and train it to climb on a circular wire hoop; it looks – and smells – great on a patio.
It likes bright light, but not direct sunlight, and needs to be watered every day. If you would like to try your hand at planting one, start it off in a mixture of Pro-Mix and sand in a container, and then transplant it outdoors. You can line the hole into which you transplant it with regular potting soil. Feed weekly with Miracle Gro All Purpose Plant Food and Miracle Gro Bloom Booster during the flowering season.
Keen gardeners and home owners pride themselves in growing this plant. As a little girl growing up, I remember there was a lady who lived in Bel Air Estate and who had a tree house in her garden. She used to grow Stephanotis and people and florists used to flock to her house to buy these flowers. I wonder whatever happened to her lovely garden after she migrated?
Until next week, Happy gardening!
roses and Stephanotis
