Great indoor winter-blooming plant!

If you have a sunny window, a great repeat-blooming houseplant is Orange Jasmine (Murraya paniculata). In Florida and similar warm climates, it grows into a large shrub or small tree, but in the north, it's a super potted plant. I've had mine for about 3 years and it repeats flushes of wonderfully scented blooms all year round. Nice glossy foliage. Mine has been trained into a standard, about 4' tall. I plan to start some cuttings this spring, and order some more from the numerous sources online. If anyone has had experience with this plant, add your knowledge please. Right now, my plant is not blooming, but setting more buds. For good photos, do a Google Images search.

Does yours get morning or afternoon sun? I'd love to try one, but I'm not sure about the light.

Here's the link to Plant Files for this plant: http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/78292/

It requires sun to partial shade according to the info listed! And 5 vendors have it for sale! Nice looking plant ... I might have to get one to keep outside but train as a standard.

jfchapin--I would love to trade you for one of your starts off this plant.. Let me know if you are interested when her cuttings are ready to survive on their own. I have a lighted plant stand. Do you think she would do good there? Lou

I keep my orange jasmine in a mostly shaded area of the patio during its "summer vacation" outdoors. During the winter, I keep it at a south window, rotating it every few weeks. It hasn't failed to bloom repeatedly for me yet. Wonderful fragrance of orange blossoms.

I'm taking cuttings soon, and would be glad to share if successful. Thanks to all for feedback. This spring, keep an eye open at the big box stores when they get in their summer tropicals. I think that's where I originally got mine.

that sounds so pretty--i hope i remember it when i go to the nursery !! i would love blooms in my atrium! thanks for the info

I've grown a few of these through the years, and the only one that ever bloomed for me was the one I kept out on my sunporch during the summer (the others (2 of 3 I think) were always kept indoors in various stages of light).
That one received abundant light, heat and humidity during the summer it was there.

I completely agree that it's fabulous in bloom, jfchapin, but personally, I think they'll only bloom indoors if summered with adequate light outdoors or on a patio, sunporch, etc..., as you stated yours was.

I had no idea mine was going to bloom when I brought it indoors that fall, I was almost fed up with it and the fact that it hadn't bloomed for me!
Then it totally (& pleasantly) surprised me!
I wondered, then, if the drop in night time temperatures on the unheated sunporch with fall approaching had something to do with it's blooming

I see them for sale fairly often, too - they look much like a young citrus plant - rather plain, so I think they're overlooked.

Yours sounds quite happy - we'd love to see a photo of it in bloom!

I agree that perhaps mine has bloomed during the winter is because it summers outdoors. I'm excited to see if this will change for me as I'm having a new sunroom added (a retirement present to myself) on the south side of the house. It's 18' X 30' with window walls of 6' windows and six skylights. The interior being finished this winter, so I haven't been able to put any of my plants in it (they're in the basement under a large gro-light from Worm's Way and doing fine). However, I can tell already that it's going to be very full of sunlight during the winter (a nice large maple will shade most of it in the summer), so perhaps I can have lots of blooms during the winter. I'll let everyone know this time next year!

By the way, if you are not aware, the relatively new bedding annual, Diamond Frost euphorbia, makes an excellent houseplant. By accident, a year ago, I found out when I overwintered a dwarf banana that was companion-planted with Diamond Frost. The banana just sat there, but the euphorbia grew like a weed, and was constantly in bloom. Again, it was in a south window. The plant self-cleaned nicely and wasn't messy at all. Very cheery when there was snow outside. If you haven't tried it, be sure to save a plant next summer to overwinter inside. (If it gets leggy, just shear it back to a few inches and it will look great again in no time!)

Oh, I'm envious about that sunroom...congratulations on that and your retirement!
You're sure to enjoy retirement with that as a new addition!

Interesting to know about the df Euphorbia. I've seen it while perusing online, and wondered how it would do indoors, so thanks for that info!

I accidently found out about diamond frost when it came as a filler in a florist bouquet of Carnations. The carnations lasted a long time and by the time they were spent, the Diamond Frost had grown roots in the vase. I planted it and it has bloomed indoors and been great. Very Easy to propagate! Lou

Nan, I'm not sure what part of WI you live in, but your zone might have changed. The 1990 USDA Hardiness Map is being revised due to global warming. The National Arbor Day Foundation map is already done and a major portion of the continental US has had its zones moved up one zone warmer. For instance, Most of Indiana used to be Zone 5, but now it's almost entirely in Zone 6. Wisconsin used to be about a fourth each of Zones 3 and 5, with about half of the state in between as Zone 4. Now, it's about half Zone 4 and half Zone 5, NO Zone 3 at all! I'm going to try to find the map on line to let others know. I have it from a landscaping business article.

To Dispatcher1, I didn't realize that it would root so easily being a euphorbia (I would think it would rot). I will definitely be rooting starts to use outside this summer! You just saved me a bundle of $$$ on my annual plants! Thanks!

I like it in the outdoor pots as filler. It really gives them a "finished" look. My plant got so tall it was tipping the pot over, so I have a lot of cuttings rooting and the mother plant is starting to bloom again. I love it. I'm glad you can use the info. Lou

PS I saw it this Christmas planted in with poinsettias. It was beautiful!

This message was edited Jan 21, 2008 2:59 PM