When choosing garden flowers, one of the favorites is a shrub with clusters of delicate white flowers that have sweet fragrance which can be smelled from afar. If you are looking for this kind of plant, the orange jasmine is a good choice.

Orange jasmine, also known as orange jessamine or mock orange, is a compact evergreen plant that has shiny leaves of a dark green color. It is famous for its flowers, which are strong and give off a sweet fragrance that's used to make essential oils and herbal tea.

Chinese people describe the fragrance as "the scent that can be smelled from several thousand meters away". The famous writer and painter Xi Murong wrote a poem about this flower. And it's the title of one of the most popular songs by Chinese popstar Jay Chou. It's strong scent is a method used to attract pollinators like butterflies and bees.

Orange jasmine usually blossoms from April to September, sometimes twice a year depending on the local climate, and will also grow edible reddish-orange berries.

To grow orange jasmine, there are several things to notice. This plant loves sunshine, but directly sunlight in summer will kill it, so the best choice is to locate it in a place that receive morning sunlight and afternoon shade. Orange jasmine does not do well in waterlogged soil, so it is critical in the drainage of soil, and make sure the water frequency and soil condition is good enough.

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(Cover image via VCG, designed by CGTN's Li Jingjie)

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