CAROL CLOUD-BAILEY

Florida gardening: Jasmine Sambac for Mom

Courtesy of Carol Cloud Bailey
Special to TCPalm
Edible flowers are one of the joys of gardening. Arabian Jasmine or Jasminum sambac flowers are used in the kitchen and to make tea and perfume. Edible flowers are easy to grow in the garden, container, or window box. Treat growing flowers that are intended for the table as you would any veggie and use pesticides sparingly, according to the label, or not at all. Fabulous flowers for salads, teas, or garnishes include thyme, violet, lavender, dandelion, chives, lemon verbena, marigold, and nasturtium.

I hope you have a chance to visit with mom this Mother’s Day either in person or via a tele-visit. This past year has been tough on us all and a hug, even a virtual one, from mom or the person who stands for mom can fix all manner of ailments and woes. Make time for a visit and a cup of tea, and problems just melt away. 

A visit with mom on her day isn’t complete without flowers. A basket of flowers for mom may seem a bit uninspired. However, what mom can resist a basket full of color for her garden with a promise from you to plant them for her? This year consider an Arabian Jasmine or Jasminum sambac shrub for her landscape or patio. Its flowers scent the air, her cup of tea, and provide elegant edible flowers for a salad or luscious dessert 

Arabian Jasmine flowers have been cultivated for centuries to make tea and perfume. Varieties of Arabian Jasmine are the National Flower of the Philippines and Indonesia and are used to make leis in Hawaii in addition to being consumed.  

A member of the Olive family, Jasmine sambac grows in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 – 11. A freeze will cause damage, but the roots are hardy and often regrow. The preference is for well-draining soil with regular applications of water.

The plants are adaptable to light and grow in full sun or in the shade; they are lovely container plants. The form is a bit wild and can produce long branches that can be supported for a vine-like form or pruned for a more compact shrub.  

Exquisite fragrant flowers are produced sporadically throughout the year but most abundantly in the hot, summer months. They are variable according to variety. They are waxy, often white, and funnel-shaped with one or multiple layers of petals.

The flowers can be collected if plants are grown without landscape chemicals and used either fresh or dried for homemade jasmine tea, jasmine-scented sweets, and delightful salads. 

Pick the flowers when they are tightly closed and during the hottest part of the day. As the flowers cool and dry, they open to emit their spectacular fragrance. To make jasmine tea.

Mix the fresh or dried blooms with tea leaves; the scent and flavor are transferred by touch so mix the blooms and tea so all the tea is in contact with the flowers for 24 hours. This process may be repeated several times for stronger scents and flavors. 

Jasminum sambac can be slightly invasive in south and central Florida. Bring or send mom a potted specimen for her patio or porch and set a date to spend time with her enjoying her company with a cup of homemade jasmine tea. 

Carol Cloud Bailey is a landscape counselor and horticulturist. Send questions to carol@yard-doc.com or visit www.yard-doc.com for more information.