Stephanotis Vine Care

Stephanotis floribunda, aka Madagascar Jasmine or Hawaiian Wedding Flower, is one beautiful vine. It has striking, dark glossy green foliage and heavenly scented, starry flowers grow in clusters that delight the olfactory senses.

How you care for it (in the outdoor world) is not difficult, but like any plant, there are a few things it requires.

IMG_4680_new — *The attractive foliage is much like that of a Hoya – it looks tough but can burn in the sun.*

This twining vine is evergreen and can grow to reach 30′. It’s not particularly fast-growing (slow but vigorous!) which is good because that means you don’t need to have at it constantly with the pruners.

It does need a means of support to grow on and training to get it to do what you want. The pictures below say it all.

IMG_4684_new — *This is my neighbor’s vine (planted about a year ago) which is now saying “bigger trellis please!” You’ll see this plant in the video below.*

IMG_4685_new — *The new growth tendrils out wanting something to grab onto. It blooms on newer wood so prune lightly. Here, late winter or early spring is a good time to prune to keep it in check.*

IMG_4716_new — *This one is being trained with wire & eye hooks. Some of the new growth strays out – no way around that. This pic was taken in mid-November & it’s still blooming away.*

There are quite a few of these vines around Santa Barbara and I would hazard a bet that none get too much pampering if any at all. Here’s what I know:

Stephanotis likes nice bright light but no direct hot sun.
This vine is not drought tolerant. Keep it evenly moist.
It’s hardy to around 39 degrees.
It doesn’t like dry air. I live 7 blocks from the ocean so that’s why my neighbors’ vines do so well.
It likes nice rich soil & will benefit from an application or 2 of nice, rich compost every year.
The roots need to be kept cool – the compost will help with that. This is another reason to keep it out of hot sun.
As far as insects go, keep an eye out for mealy bug & scale.

As a houseplant (they are most often seen growing on a ring or small trellis), Stephanotis can be a bit tricky. In the winter our home tend to be kept dry and this plant likes humidity.

Another glitch, it likes cool temps in the winter time. Fertilize it with fish emulsion, kelp or liquid seaweed at 1/2 strength during the growing season.

Here in Santa Barbara it flowers from the late Spring through early Winter. This year has been sunny and very mild so the Stephanotis is still blooming away in January.

In days past this was the quintessential bridal flower and was commonly seen in bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres and in bride’s hair.

The individual flowers are put on Stephanotis Picks which are long pieces of covered wire with cotton at the end. This is so they can be put into a bouquet. Sweet little blooms!

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About the Author
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Nell Foster

Nell, the founder of Joy Us garden, was born into a gardening family and grew up in Connecticut’s countryside. After living in Boston, New York, San Francisco, & Santa Barbara, she now calls the Arizona desert home. She studied horticulture & garden design, working in the field all her life. Nell is a gardener, designer, blogger, Youtube creator, & author. She’s been gardening for a very long time & wants to share what she’s learned with you.

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34 Comments

Just purchased my first Steph and it will get morning sun and afternoon shade. Is morning sun too much?
I live inGrover Beach 1 mile from the ocean
Thanks for your help

That should be fine Amy. They like a rich soil so feed it with plenty of organic compost. Nell

our Stephanotis plant is about 20 years old and has flowered every year suddenly this year all the leaves turn bright yellow and it appears that is not going to live.. is there anything that you would suggest? And how long do Stephanotis normally live?

Hello Nell,
I saw Stephanotis plant in a nursery today and while doing my research, came across your site:) Thank you for a lot of useful tips. We live in Hermosa Beach so the climate is similar to yours. I am thinking it can be a right plant for our west/north corner patio since it only gets
the sun in the afternoon. But, can it still get burnt?
Anna

Thank you for all of your advice, Nell! I live in South Florida, across from the beach. I am considering switching out my confederate jasmine vine for stephanotis because it is so unique and beautiful, plus I would just let it grow rather than training a large (60 ft wide) wall of confederate for the cross/diamond pattern! My question is, our back wall faces west, so it would get afternoon light. is that going to be too strong for the steph vine? The house is two story, so it does block some of the direct afternoon light from the roots. Hoping it can work out! grateful for your advice!

Hi Ken – My neighbors in Santa Barbara had a Steph vine growing on their house which was about 35 years old. I don’t know if yours is growing outdoors or indoors but here are a few reasons: too much water, temps too cold, change in soil pH (they prefer a slightly acidic soil) or soil not draining. Nell

You’re welcome Meredith. Stephanotis is a lovely vine & the flowers are as pretty as the flowers. It should be fine as long the soil is rich & well drained. Cover the roots with lots of organic matter so they stay on the cooler side. As the plant grows, you’ll need to extend the range of the compost. Enjoy the flowers! Nell

Anna – It should be fun. Just make sure to cover the ground around the roots with lots of rich organic matter. They can take some sun but the roots prefer to stay cooler & shaded. Nell