The Madagascar jasmine, or Stephanotis floribunda, is a twining climber that’s native to Madagascar. In height it can reach up to eight metres tall and can spread one and a half metres. The binomial name of this lovely climber, Stephanotis floribunda, has the following meanings:

• Stephanotis-from the Latin word ’stephanotis’ meaning ‘fit for a crown’. The Latin word comes from the Greek word ‘stephanos’ meaning ‘crown’.
• Floribunda-comes from two Latin words ‘florere’ meaning ‘to bloom‘ and ‘bundus’ meaning ‘carrying on’. Together, they mean ‘very free flowering’, which the example I saw was at the time.

The leaves of the Madagascar jasmine are leathery and oblong to elliptic in shape. Leaves are arranges in opposite pairs along the twining stems. It is an evergreen plant.

The flowers are one of the two things that caught my attention with this plant. They are white and waxy in texture. They are tubular in shape and look like jasmine flowers, hence part of the common name. the flowers are also fragrant. The plant flowers between spring and autumn. The flowers are followed by large egg-shaped, green fruits.

Madagascar jasmine does best in a tropical climate, with plenty of sunshine, or indoors in a warm and sunny position. In Sydney, when I saw it, the Madagascar jasmine was perfectly happy climbing up a trellis outside. While growing, in the warmer months, full sun and plenty of water are needed, along with high humidity levels and some balanced fertiliser in spring. Soil needs to have very good drainage, otherwise root rot could ensue. A trellis is needed for support. It can be grown indoors in cooler climates, although growth is slower (water requirements are a little less). Do bear in mind that, if exposed to full sun quickly and unexpectedly, the leaves will blister and become sunburnt.

To propagate, seed can be sown when temperatures reach around 21 degrees Celsius. Soft-wood cuttings can also be taken in summer, although bottom heat will need to be used to encourage growth.

Diseases aren’t a major problem from what I can gather for Madagascar jasmine. Pests that can cause some trouble-these can include scale, glasshouse red spider mite and root mealybug.

Now, it comes down to the question of whether I would have Madagascar jasmine in my mythical and ridiculously massive garden. I think I would because it is lovely. I would have it climbing up trellises next to my back door.