Mine lose some leaves during the cooler weather, and don't grow at all until spring. I read somewhere that they don't like fertilizer much, so I only use a tiny bit of slow release nutricote once in spring and once in August. They start growing like crazy in May or June and bloom from then through September. I have grown small cuttings to 5 feet high in a summer, with lots of pinching to make them branch some.

I pulled them from their big pots and put them back into 1 gallon. The soil in the big pots was not draining as it should and the tops were dry and the bottoms wet.This time they went into some premium moisture control soil. They had put on a very extensive root system since their last re-pot. Maybe I am expecting growth too soon. I had fertilized them before so I will stop. Do they go through a dormancy period?

There seems to be quite a bit of new growth at the bottom of the plants. They had dropped most all of their leaves. I had in the past spent most of my time on other plants as these seemed to limp along. Now they have been moved to the top of the order. I counted and I have 12 plants 6-12 inches. They have been through a lot like freeze 14 inches of rain in a week period, 60 mph winds etc. The common coastal stuff. When I discovered the plants and wanted some they said they were prolific almost invasive. These are not the plants description by my account. Maybe summer will get them in the zone.

Jim

Hang in there! Wait till summer begins and they will take off. Wendy

Hi Jim,
While I'm not familiar with Texas weather (although I hope to be soon), I can say that my Night Blooming Jasmine/Jessamine cuttings usually stall in cooler weather (even indoors). They like the hot weather here in partial shade or morning sun, then they take off and put on a lot of growth. They also flower in spurts. My rooted cuttings inside are just standing still but once I get them outside in 80+ degree weather, they'll remind me that it was worth the wait :)
Trish

Maybe it is just the temps. They seem to have a very large root system. Is there a link to plant care. I have looked but have not found one yet. They are in my plant care hospital. They get daily observation. I have read so much about their fragrance that they are way up there on my needed plant list. It get so hot here that summertime shipping is almost impossible. So my window if these do not make it is closing real fast. Maybe they should go into the ground ??? I have not tried that yet.

Jim

Jim -

I live in the panhandle of Florida. Mine are left outdoors in the ground. They are to be cut way back this weekend. New growth is starting to produce. My plant, in the front yard - north side - from a 6" cutting from the backyard plant is doing great. This plant is 15' tall. I train mine over an arbor. Every full moon that almost too sweet smell takes over the street. Now the mom plant in the backyard lost all its leaves, but is now starting to produce. I would put mine in the ground where you are wanting it....water and wait...It will love TX. If all else, I have been mailing cuttings all over USA with great results. I could mail you some, but I believe placing the plant in the ground and the upcoming weather will have you enjoying that sweet smell soon.

I would love some cuttings. I am a firm believer in not all species are created equal. I have had these for 5 months and they have never thrived. I have several hundred other plants and they are all doing great. These came as 6" plants and still are 6" plants except less healthy. I have repotted them 4 times. Moved them indoors and outdoors, changed pot size, changed soil, hit them with fungicide, superthrive, b vitamins, you name it. They have been in plant care hospital at my house. Still not much improvement. If I had given that much care to any of my other plants it would be 5 feet tall.They look like little gren sticks in the soil. I believe these are just duds. I will put them into the soil and wish for the best. This is the last thing I have not tried.

I would be more than happy to send the cost of shipping and time. Let me know.

Jim

Jeep,

You may be killing them with kindness! It's all too easy, when a plant fails to thrive, to start changing things up; soil, pots, watering, but each change forces the plant to adapt yet again to new conditions, and as the folks growing them have stated, cestrum nocturnum just doesn't do much during the winter.

I hope they survive the planting outside, they may surprise you by taking off like rockets when the weather really warms up, just like people are saying!

Jim

There seems to be quite a difference in individual night blooming jasmine plants. We bought 4 at the same home depot here in south Florida and planted them at each corner of our lanai. They all looked exactly alike when we bought them. All 4 recieve similar amounts of water and sunlight, yet one continuously grows larger, faster and thicker than the other 3. It has the same leaves and flowers as the rest, except that it looks like it's on steroids. The leaves get huge, the braches get extremely thick where they come out of the ground, and it grows 3 times as fast as any of the others. The others take 6-7 months to grow up as high as the pool cage after pruning to 3 1/2 ft, this one usually accomplishes that in 2 months after being cut back shorter than the others. For some reason, the bugs and aphids that are forever plagueing the other 3 seem to avoid this particular plant. You hardly ever see an aphid or chewed leaf. I'd love to know why. I bet everyone would love to have a night blooming jasmine like this... bug free and grows to 12' in just 2 or 3 months! It's actually annoying trying to keep this specimen in check, we don't want them growing over the roof of the pool cage, and I have to cut it back constantly just to keep it similar in size to the others.
Dave