Variegated and Non-Variegated Crape Jasmine

Crape Jasmine got its name probably because of the similarity of flowers to that of Jasmine, especially when viewed from a distance. Yet Crape Jasmine flowers are devoid of the excellent fragrance for which Jasmine flowers are famous for. Crape Jasmine is also known as Taberna and by various other names as pinwheel flower, East India Rosebay and Nero’s Crown. They are quite easy to grow in this region and can grow a couple of meters in height if planted on ground soil. Most often it is planted in garden pots and grow as shrubs.

There are different varieties of Crape Jasmine in my garden. Those with variegated leaves and ones without variegation of leaves. Non-variegated leaves are deep green and shiny. Flowers of both varieties are similar, pure white, without any variegation. Crape Jasmine plants produce a large number of alkaloids.

There are also varieties with smaller leaves and flowers as well. Stem exudes milky latex if broken and gives it another name: Milk flower! Flowers have the characteristic pinwheel shape, giving it the name pinwheel flower. Crape Jasmine can be propagated fairly easily by planting stem cuttings.