Arabian jasmine
Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton
Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac) is a fragrant shrub of the olive family with white flowers that release a rich sweet scent at night — the raw material for jasmine tea and prized jasmine absolute in perfumery.
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Jasmine — Jasmine tea (product)Hoa nhài (Jasminum sambac)
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Jasmine — Flower
Jasmine — Double flowersJasmine — Jasmine tea (product)Hoa nhài (Jasminum sambac)Overview
Arabian jasmine (also known as jasmine or sampaguita) is an evergreen shrub 0.5–3 m tall with many branches and opposite, glossy oval leaves. Flowers grow in small clusters at branch tips or leaf axils, pure white with 5–7 petals (single form) or many overlapping petals (double form); the fragrance is strongest at dusk and night. The plant rarely fruits — the berry is spherical and black when ripe. The genus Jasminum contains over 200 species, about 30 of them found in Vietnam.
The species originates from the tropical and subtropical regions of South Asia and is widely grown across Southeast Asia for scenting tea, ceremonial offerings and fragrance extraction. Research in Vietnam shows an essential-oil yield of about 0.2–0.3%, comparable to world-quality jasmine material; because the scent breaks down with heat, extraction is done with solvents to yield jasmine concrete and jasmine absolute. In traditional medicine the flower is pungent, sweet and warm, used to move qi, relieve depression, calm the spirit and harmonize the stomach; typically 3–10 g of dried flowers are steeped as a tea.
Life cycle
From seed to productCutting
Jasminum sambac is propagated mainly by semi-hardwood cuttings or layering: take 15–20 cm half-ripe shoots, remove most leaves and insert into loose, moist soil; layering and division are also used.
Rooting & sprouting
After 3–6 weeks the cutting roots from its nodes; green shoots emerge and the opposite leaves gradually expand.
Young plant
Young plants grow into clumps, the soft stems climbing a support while roots anchor firmly and leaves turn glossy green.
Mature plant
A mature plant reaches 1–3 m with slender branching stems; in warm climates it flowers almost year-round, most fragrant at night.
Flowering
White five-petalled flowers bloom in leaf axils at night with a sweet perfume; each blossom lasts only 1–2 days.
Harvest
Flowers are picked at dawn for jasmine tea, essential-oil distillation or flavouring, harvested regularly through the blooming season.
Uses
- Scenting jasmine tea
- Jasmine absolute for fine perfumery and cosmetics
- Traditional medicine: calming, qi-regulating, digestive aid
- Ornamental planting and ceremonial offerings
Habitat & conservation
Needs full sun (6–8 hours daily), warm humid conditions of 20–30°C, and loose sandy or basaltic soil rich in humus with pH 6.0–7.5 and good drainage; intolerant of frost (below 10°C damages foliage) and of waterlogging. Propagated mainly by stem cuttings.
Conservation
Jasminum sambac is Not Evaluated on the IUCN Red List; it is widely cultivated and not threatened. For tea scenting, ensure the correct species (J. sambac) is used — other species sharing the name 'jasmine' may not be suitable.
References
- 1Jasminum sambac — Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA) — , 2026
- 2Plants of the World Online — Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton — Kew Science, 2026
- 3Jasminum sambac — mô tả, phân bố, sử dụng — English Wikipedia, 2026
- 4Hoa nhài (nhài ta) — đặc điểm, công dụng — Vietnamese Wikipedia, 2026
- 5Nguồn ảnh: SJasminum / Hasnat Abdullah / Prenn (CC BY-SA 4.0 / 4.0 / 3.0) — Wikimedia Commons,
- 6Nguồn ảnh: fotologic (CC BY 2.0) — Wikimedia Commons,