If you're in S.E. PA, you should be asking the folks at Longwood Gardens and Wintertur over the Del. border; they've probably tried everything at one point or another.

With borderline hardiness, the key is location, location, location, aka protection, like Jeff Al said, and even then there's no guarantee. If you've got a sunny, southfacing wall, or similar sunny spot that's protected from winter winds, with well-drained soil so that it's not freezing and thawing on soggy roots in early spring, that's the place for it.

I haven't heard j. stephanense to be reliably hardy below zone 7, but the nursery above sure seems confident about their clone, there are positive reports of z5 hardiness on one or two "other" forums as well. Fragrance varies on this one, the specimen at the local botanical garden never smelled much to my nose.

I tried the hardy jasmine once, but somebody swiped my plant, pot and all before winter was over! (Hey, it's Brooklyn, fugghedabouddit!)

I would definitely try a gelsemium, they seem very tough and mostly evergreen up here.

Or you could grow 'em in pots and lug 'em in and out all year like I do!

Jim

Jim,

Thanks , Stephanense seemed a bit "wild" and I needed authentic indian , S.Asian white jasmine that I grew up with in india. So I just ordered the Jasminum officinale "Hardy Jasmine" from Logees. Could this be a hybrid? Coz Jasminum officinale is not hardy to z7/6 right?
Anyways I heard good tthings about logees so lets see!
I am putting it in a big pot and am bringin in my basement in winter. Planning to grow the root this year and prop. and try the 2nd in ground later

I am sorry abt the theft-why would anyone steal a plant?
Is it the same as the one in my link?
--kris

Here is a link that might be useful: J. Officianale - Hardy

I have seen some jasmine here in Michigan that resembles a shrub, and then there in a night blooming one that resembles a tree. What is the difference?

Kris, I'm pretty sure Logee's hardy jasmine isn't a hybrid, because true jasminum species don't hybridize easily, for botanical reasons I won't get into right now -- IMHO it's a seedling or cutting that proved the hardiest of the bunch, plus the fact that, as American gardeners get more experience with exotic tropicals, they're finding that some are more hardy here than previously thought.

Why steal a plant -- why steal anything? 'Cuz you want it and you don't feel like paying? ;>)

I think growing it on for a year before planting in the ground is very sensible idea; mail order plants can be pretty small at the roots, and why roll the dice the first winter if you can spend some time beefing it up? I would keep it outside until temps get cool; Logee's notes say this one actually needs some winter chilling time to grow and flower best.

Teacher, your second jasmine is most likely night-blooming jasmine, cestrum nocturnum -- not a true jasminum but powerfully fragrant. Since many plants called jasmine grow kinda like a shrub, it's hard to say what it is without more details about the flowers, leaves, etc.

Happy Growing!

Jim

I did buy logees hardy jasmine 3 years ago, it grew very well for me about 6ft in less than 2 years. I go the plant in 2inch pot from logees. It is a great quick growing vine that goes dormant in winter and comes back around january. It blooms in April, the flowers are fragrant but not as good as jasmine sambac. But the only thing with this plant is it blooms only once in season at the beginning of spring.

Hi

I am gonna put it in a pot with trellis. So there is NO WAY this can be forced bloom in fall or again after spring?