If you’ve ever walked past a jasmine vine in bloom and wished you could bottle that scent for your apartment, you’re in the right place. You absolutely can grow jasmine inside, even in a small urban place with one sunny window and a cat on patrol. The trick is choosing the right type of jasmine, giving it strong light without baking it, and keeping it just cool enough to set buds. Groups like the Royal Horticultural Society and several university extensions all agree that jasmines want bright light, moist but well-drained soil, and regular pruning to keep them in bounds.
In this guide I’ll walk you through which jasmine flower indoor plants actually behave well inside, how to set up pots and supports, and what a realistic weekly care routine looks like when you’re growing jasmine indoors. We’ll also talk about common problems (like loads of leaves but no flowers), how to avoid the usual beginner mistakes, and answer the big pet question: is star jasmine toxic to dogs? By the end, you’ll know exactly how to grow jasmine inside without turning your living room into a plant emergency room.
Can You Grow Jasmine Inside?
The short answer is yes—many jasmines grow very happily in containers, and some are regularly recommended for indoor pots. The key is to treat them like sun-loving vines that still want a touch of cool air, not like tropical foliage plants that enjoy dim corners. Groups like the Royal Horticultural Society suggest planting tender jasmines such as Jasminum polyanthum in containers and keeping them in a bright indoor spot, then moving them outside in mild weather if you have a balcony.
Most indoor-friendly jasmines prefer at least bright, indirect light and do best when they can enjoy several hours of sun each day.
NC State Extension notes that jasmines generally need full sun or bright light plus evenly moist, well-drained soil, which you can absolutely provide on a windowsill or near a glass door. Indoors, the sweet spot is usually a south- or west-facing window where the plant gets around 6 hours of strong light, but you can move it a couple of feet back from the glass if the leaves start to scorch.
Temperature-wise, indoor jasmines like it on the cooler side compared to a lot of houseplants. The Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests keeping indoor jasmine between about 60° and 75°F with good air circulation, with cooler nights helping flower bud formation. That happens to be the temperature range many apartments sit in anyway—so as long as you don’t park your jasmine right above a radiator, you’re in business.
Best Types of Jasmine for Indoors
Not every jasmine behaves the same indoors, so it helps to pick varieties that already have a reputation for container life.
- Arabian jasmine (Jasminum sambac) – A compact shrub-vine with intensely fragrant white flowers, often grown in pots and used for tea and leis. It loves full sun to bright light and evenly moist but not soggy soil.
- Pink jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum) – A vigorous climber with pink buds that open to white starry flowers. RHS specifically notes it as a good candidate for container and conservatory growing, which translates well to a bright apartment window.
- Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) – Not a true jasmine but a fragrant evergreen vine often grown in pots on balconies. It can be kept in a container outside and then overwintered indoors in colder climates, as long as it still gets bright light and a support to climb.
For a first indoor jasmine flower plant, I usually recommend Arabian jasmine or pink jasmine—they’re widely available, stay a manageable size in a 10–12 inch pot, and reward you with blooms if you give them strong light.
If you’re nervous about starting with vines at all, you might begin with a simpler scented plant like mint or lemon balm on your balcony (see our balcony herbs guide) and then “graduate” to jasmine once you’re comfortable with container watering.
Setting Up Your Indoor Jasmine: Pot, Soil, and Light
How you set your jasmine up on day one will decide whether it sulks or thrives inside.
I still remember the first time I crammed a jasmine into a tiny decorative pot with no drainage “just for winter” and then spent the season wondering why it kept dropping leaves. Spoiler: the roots were sitting in soup.
Pot size and drainage
For most jasmine types, use a sturdy pot at least 10–12 inches wide and deep for a single plant, with a solid drainage hole. Balcony-focused guides for jasmine often recommend containers 12–14 inches deep for vining plants so the root zone doesn’t dry out too fast or become rootbound immediately. Avoid decorative cachepots without drainage or permanently attached saucers that trap water—Illinois Extension specifically notes that excess water should be able to escape freely and that attached saucers can easily cause waterlogging if you don’t empty them.
Soil mix
Skip garden soil and use a high-quality potting mix designed for containers. You can lighten it further by blending in 20–30% perlite or fine bark to keep it airy and well-drained. University and extension sources also strongly advise against the old “gravel layer” at the bottom of the pot; research from Washington State University and UC ANR shows that gravel actually holds water above the layer and makes roots wetter, not drier. Just fill the container fully with mix and let the drainage hole do its job.
Light placement
Aim for a south- or west-facing window that delivers about 6 hours of bright light. Modern care guides note that indoor jasmines bloom best with strong, indirect light a few feet back from an unshaded window so the leaves don’t scorch. If your only option is an east window, you can boost light with a small LED grow light hung 12–18 inches above the plant.
Quick setup checklist:
- Choose a 10–12 inch pot with at least one open drainage hole.
- Fill with peat-free potting mix plus 20–30% perlite or fine bark; no gravel layer.
- Insert a slim trellis at planting time so you don’t stab roots later.
- Place the pot near a bright south or west window, a bit back from intense glass.
Once all that’s in place, water deeply until 10–20% of the water drains into the saucer, then empty the saucer. If you can get setup right, the rest of jasmine plant care feels a lot less mysterious.
Daily Jasmine Plant Care Indoors
Once your jasmine is settled, think in terms of a gentle weekly rhythm rather than complicated “plant chores.”
Watering
Indoor jasmines like evenly moist soil but not constant wet feet. As a rule, water when the top 1–2 inches of mix feel dry to the touch. In average apartment conditions, that might mean every 3–5 days in warm, bright weather and once a week or so in cooler seasons. Each time you water, give enough so water runs from the drainage hole, then empty the saucer after a few minutes—this matches general container best practice recommended by many extension programs for healthy root aeration.
Feeding
From spring through late summer, feed with a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer about once every 4–6 weeks at half strength. Clemson’s Home & Garden Information Center notes that jasmines respond well to moderate fertility and regular moisture; overdoing fertilizer just makes them leafy at the expense of flowers. In fall and winter, you can skip feeding while growth slows.
Humidity and air
Indoor air, especially with heating, can be drier than jasmine prefers. The Old Farmer’s Almanac suggests boosting humidity around indoor jasmine by using a pebble tray or humidifier while still keeping the air moving so foliage dries between waterings. I like to keep my jasmine on a wide saucer filled with pebbles and water (the pot sits on the pebbles, not in the water) and crack a nearby window for a bit of fresh air on mild days.
Pruning and training
Use soft ties to guide stems along a hoop or slim trellis. After a flush of flowering, lightly prune back long, wild shoots to keep the plant compact. Clemson and other extensions recommend pruning jasmine after bloom since flowers are borne on older wood. Don’t be afraid to remove up to a third of the longest stems once or twice a year—just avoid shearing it into a hard ball.
Beginners often either overwater (“because it’s a tropical plant”) or treat jasmine like a succulent and let it bone-dry. If you’re unsure, a cheap moisture meter can help you learn how quickly your specific pot dries in your exact light and temperature.
How to Get Flowers When Growing Jasmine Inside
Plenty of people can keep a jasmine alive indoors; getting it to flower is where things get interesting. Flowering hinges on three main levers: light, temperature, and daylength (or really, darkness at night).
Light and darkness
Indoor jasmines typically need around 6 hours of bright light daily and real darkness at night to set buds. Modern indoor guides emphasize keeping jasmine a few feet back from an unshaded south or west window and away from bright artificial lights after sundown, since that stray light can interfere with bud formation. If your plant gets evening light from overhead LED strips, try switching those off or moving the plant to a darker spot at night while buds develop.
Cooler nights for bud set
Cool nights act like a signal to many jasmines that it’s time to prepare blooms. RHS and Old Farmer’s Almanac both highlight that indoor jasmine prefers cooler temperatures and that a period of cooler nights—around the low 60s°F and even down toward 50°F for some types—helps flower buds form. In practical apartment terms, that might mean:
- Moving the pot away from radiators or heating vents in fall.
- Cracking a nearby window slightly at night for a few weeks (if it’s safe and not freezing).
- Parking the plant in the coolest bright room you have from early fall until buds show.
Balanced growth, not just foliage
If your jasmine is all leaves and zero buds, double-check how often you’re feeding. Monthly fertilizing during the growing season is plenty; over-feeding pushes lush vegetative growth at the expense of flowers, as noted in many jasmine care guides. Cut fertilizer for a couple of months, increase light, and let the plant experience cooler nights.
I like to think of my jasmine’s bloom cycle as a year-long story: vigorous leafy growth in late spring and summer, a cool and slightly lean rest in early fall, and then buds swelling and opening in late winter when the rest of the balcony is still asleep.
Common Problems When Growing Jasmine Inside (and Fixes)
Even with good care, indoor jasmine can throw you a curveball now and then. Here are some of the most common issues and what usually solves them.
- Yellow leaves starting at the bottom. Often a sign of overwatering or poor drainage. Check that the pot has a clear drainage hole and that you’re letting the top 1–2 inches of soil dry before watering again. Empty saucers so roots aren’t standing in water, as multiple extension sources stress.
- Dropped buds before opening. Usually caused by fluctuating moisture (cycling between bone-dry and saturated) or sudden changes in light or temperature. Try to keep watering consistent and avoid moving the plant right as buds form.
- Lots of leaves, no flowers. Increase light, reduce fertilizer, and introduce cooler nights in fall as described above. Many indoor growers report that even a few weeks of cooler, bright conditions make a big difference in bud set.
- Sticky leaves or black sooty mold. This can indicate sap-sucking pests like scale or aphids. Clemson and UF/IFAS suggest starting with physical removal (a damp cloth, or rinsing in the shower) and, if needed, using a gentle horticultural soap or neem oil, applied according to label directions.
- Leggy, tangled growth. Lack of pruning plus low light. Prune back long stems after flowering, then give the plant stronger light and a proper trellis to climb.
If you’re ever unsure whether the problem is water or light, start by looking at the root zone—overly wet, sour-smelling soil causes more trouble for jasmine indoors than slightly dry conditions do.
Is Star Jasmine Toxic to Dogs?
If you share your apartment with a dog, it’s smart to ask whether star jasmine is safe before you bring it indoors. According to the ASPCA’s toxic and non-toxic plant list, star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides, also listed as Confederate jasmine) is classified as non-toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. That means it’s not expected to cause serious poisoning if a pet chews a leaf or two.
That said, the ASPCA also notes that ingestion of any plant material can cause mild stomach upset or vomiting in some pets simply because they’re eating something their body isn’t used to.
If your dog has a habit of shredding every plant in sight, consider placing star jasmine out of easy reach on a higher shelf, balcony rail, or behind a pet gate, and watch for any signs of chewing.
If your dog does eat a large amount of foliage and then seems unwell—vomiting, lethargy, or any unusual behavior—call your vet or a poison control hotline for guidance.
Creative Ways to Use Jasmine as an Indoor Plant
Once you’ve cracked how to grow jasmine inside, you can start playing with how it shapes your space, not just how it smells.
- Living window frame. Set two jasmine pots on either side of a bright window and train the vines over a simple wire “arch” to frame the view.
- Fragrant room divider. Line up two or three pots along a narrow console or bench with individual trellises to create a light, green screen between the sofa and dining area.
- Balcony railing curtain. On a balcony, place pots at the base of the railing and use discreet twine or mesh as an airy screen. This still lets wind through, which extensions recommend for vines, while giving you privacy and scent.
- Companion planting in scent corners. Pair jasmine with other fragrant but container-friendly plants—lavender, mint in its own pot, or scented geraniums—so a single sunny corner becomes your “scent bar.”
I love using jasmine as a vertical accent in otherwise low container groupings. It draws your eye up, gives you a cloud of fragrance at nose level when you sit down, and makes even a small apartment balcony feel like an outdoor room.
Common Mistakes to Avoid With Indoor Jasmine
I’ve made pretty much every jasmine mistake you can think of, so here are the ones I’d love you to skip. I learned several of these the hard way when my first jasmine dropped every bud right before a dinner party.
- No drainage. Using a decorative pot without a drainage hole is probably the fastest way to kill jasmine indoors. Roots suffocate in saturated soil, and multiple extension sources emphasize that containers must have open drainage.
- Dim corners. Parking jasmine in a low-light hallway or on a shaded bookshelf and then wondering why it never blooms. Treat it like a sun-loving vine: it needs bright light and, ideally, direct sun for part of the day.
- Heavy “garden soil” in pots. Dense soil compacts in containers and holds too much water. Use a light potting mix with added perlite or bark instead.
- Skipping the cool period. Keeping jasmine at the same warm, cozy living-room temperature year-round. A few weeks of cooler nights in fall are a big part of reliable flowering.
- Overfeeding. Pouring on fertilizer every two weeks in hopes of more blooms, then getting a giant green tangle. Moderate feeding during the growing season is enough.
My favorite simple upgrade is to re-pot new jasmines out of the nursery can into a terracotta pot with good mix and drainage, then put the terracotta inside a slightly larger decorative cachepot if you want a fancier look. That way you get the style without sacrificing root health.
Quick FAQ
Can I grow jasmine inside all year?
Yes. Many people grow jasmine indoors year-round, especially in colder climates. You can keep it inside in bright light, then move it to a sheltered balcony or patio in warm weather if you have one, bringing it back indoors before nights drop below about the low-50s°F, which matches guidance for tender jasmines.
Can jasmine grow inside with only a north window?
Most jasmines will survive but rarely flower in a north window because the light is too weak. If north is your only exposure, add a small LED grow light and aim for 10–12 hours of bright artificial light daily to compensate.
How often should I repot my indoor jasmine?
Plan to repot every 2–3 years, or sooner if roots circle the pot or water runs straight through without being absorbed. Move up just one pot size each time to avoid a huge volume of wet soil around a relatively small root ball.
Can I grow jasmine inside if I’m new to plants?
Yes—but be honest about your light. If you can keep a pothos alive and have one bright window, you can handle jasmine with a bit of attention to watering. If you’re truly brand-new, you might start with herbs or an easy flowering plant first, then add jasmine once you’ve practiced a few container basics.
Growing jasmine inside is one of those small apartment upgrades that feels almost unfair: a single pot can perfume an entire room, and the plant itself doesn’t actually ask for much beyond bright light, a decent pot, and a bit of cool air at the right time of year. Once you understand that jasmine is a sun-loving vine with a taste for slightly cooler nights and evenly moist soil, all the scattered advice online suddenly lines up. You’re not trying to “trick” it into blooming so much as giving it the conditions it already expects, just in miniature on your windowsill.
Start simple: pick a good indoor variety like Arabian jasmine or pink jasmine, give it a 10–12 inch pot with proper drainage, and place it where it can bask in strong light without baking.
Pay attention to how quickly your potting mix dries, and don’t be afraid to lightly prune and shape the plant so it fits your space. If you share your apartment with pets, star jasmine offers a fragrant, non-toxic option according to ASPCA listings, though it’s still wise to keep heavy chewers somewhat separated from your plants.
If this is your first time trying to grow jasmine inside, treat it as a friendly experiment, not a test. Observe, adjust light or watering a bit each week, and you’ll quickly learn what your plant is telling you. And when those first buds finally open on a cold evening, turning your living room or balcony into a pocket garden, you’ll know it was worth the extra care.
