The Care of Pinwheel Jasmine

The pinwheel jasmine is an evergreen shrub with ruffle-edged flowers with a sweet fragrance, which is stronger at night. The white flowers have a waxy appearance with curled petals resembling a pinwheel. The pinwheel jasmine is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10b and 11, but can be planted in a container in other USDA plant hardiness zones. The evergreen shrub grows 6 to 10 feet tall with a spread of 3 to 6 feet, but the spread will be smaller in a container.

Fertilizer

Pruning shears

Humus-rich soil

Place the pinwheel jasmine in a location with part sun and shade on a desk or patio. A sunny location during the early afternoon with shade during later afternoon will do very well for the shrub.

Water the container shrub when the soil is slightly dry. Although the shrub is moderately tolerant of drought conditions, container shrubs do need extra care to keep the soil moist.

Bring the pinwheel jasmine in the house when the temperatures start to fall below 35 degrees F. Although the shrub has been known to survive periodic temperatures in the low 20s, the shrub will continue to bloom better if kept in a warm environment during cold winters.

Feed the pinwheel jasmine with 12-6-8 (nitrogen-phosphate-potassium) fertilizer once a month from spring to late summer. The higher nitrogen level in the fertilizer will keep the soil slightly more acidic, which is what the shrub prefers.

Prune the shrub to remove stringers that grow out from the sides and top of the rounded canopy. When flowers die, remove the spent flowers to encourage new flowers.

Repot the pinwheel shrub when it outgrows its container. Use a container 1 to 2 inches larger. Use a humus-rich, well-draining, slightly acidic potting soil mix. Azalea potting soil can be used for the jasmine shrub.