Common white jasmine or poet’s jasmine (Jasminum officinale) is hardy throughout the Midlands but questionable in the Upstate.

Mature Height/Spread: Common jasmine grows to a height of 10 to 15 feet as a lanky, semi-vining shrub. When grown as a vine, its arching branches have to be supported on an arbor or trellis. To grow it as a shrub requires frequent pruning. The very fragrant, white flowers are up to 1 inch in diameter and they are present all summer and into fall. The rich green leaves have five to nine leaflets, each up to 2½ inches long.

Growth Rate: Common jasmine is moderately fast-growing. It grows 12 to 24 inches a year.

Landscape Use: Plant jasmine near the house or near a walk so its intense fragrance can be enjoyed and so you can watch hummingbirds and butterflies come to the flowers.

Cultivation: All jasmines prefer full sun to partial shade and a warm site. They grow well in regular garden soil with moderate levels of soil fertility and moisture, and they need frequent pinching and shaping to control growth. Low-growing, shrubby kinds make good hedges. Jasmines bush out and should not be jammed together. Set them at least 8 feet apart in shrub borders. Containerized plants are best planted in the fall.

Problems: Common jasmine is relatively problem-free.