Mogra (Arabian Jasmine)
Jasminum sambac
📖 About this plant
Mogra (Jasminum sambac), also known as Arabian Jasmine, is one of the most fragrant and culturally significant flowers in India — its intoxicating nighttime fragrance has made it a staple in Indian gardens, religious ceremonies, weddings, and perfumery for centuries. Native to India and widely cultivated across tropical Asia, Mogra is the source of the famous “Jasmine oil” used in high-end perfumery and traditional attars. The plant produces clusters of small, waxy, intensely fragrant white flowers that bloom at night and release their fragrance strongest after sundown. There are several main forms: single-flowered (Belle of India, with elongated petals), semi-double (Khoya), and double-flowered (Motia or Grand Duke of Tuscany — the most fragrant, with small rose-like blooms). The flowers are used extensively in Indian culture — strung into garlands (gajras) worn by women in their hair, used in wedding decorations, offered in temples, and used to make jasmine tea, syrup, and ice cream. The flowers are also pickled, candied, or used to flavour rice and desserts. In Indian classical music and poetry, Mogra symbolizes purity, love, and devotion. The plant blooms almost year-round in warm climates and is one of the most rewarding plants to grow — even a single open flower fills a room with fragrance.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun to partial shade
2-3 times per week
High (60-80%)
20-32°C
Well-draining loamy soil rich in organic matter; pH 6.0-7.5
Heavy feeder — apply balanced fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during growing season; add compost or manure annually
🌐 Common Names
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- India, Bhutan, Arabian peninsula (national flower of Indonesia and Philippines)
- 📏 Max height
- 1-3 m (3-10 ft) as a climber or scrambling shrub
- 📐 Spread
- 1-2 m (3-6 ft)
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring to autumn (March to November in India); sporadic blooms year-round in tropics
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Pure white, fading to pale pink with age; single, semi-double, and double forms
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Dark glossy green, oval leaves 3-7 cm long
- ⏳ Lifespan
- 10-15 years
- 📈 Growth rate
- Fast — 60-100 cm per year
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic — flowers are edible and used in teas; safe for humans and pets
- 🌱 Propagation
- Stem cuttings (semi-hardwood, 15-20 cm, root in 4-6 weeks), layering
🛡️ Health & Safety
Non-toxic — flowers are edible and used in teas; safe for humans and pets
Common issues
- Aphids on new growth
- mealybugs
- scale insects
- spider mites in dry conditions
- bud drop from irregular watering or temperature swings
- leaf spot in humid weather
- sooty mold from aphid honeydew
- lack of flowering from insufficient sun or excessive nitrogen
💡 Care tips
- Plant in full sun for the most fragrant and abundant flowers — Mogra in shade produces foliage but few blooms.
- Provide a trellis, fence, or arbor for the plant to climb (it can also be grown as a free-standing shrub with pruning).
- Water regularly during the growing season
- reduce in winter.
- Mulch heavily to retain soil moisture and feed the roots.
- Feed with balanced fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during the growing season
- add compost or aged manure annually.
- Prune in late winter to control size and shape — Mogra tolerates hard pruning.
- Pinch young plants to encourage bushy growth.
- The plant is perfect for containers — use a 14-16 inch pot with a trellis.
- Place near windows, patios, or outdoor seating areas to enjoy the nighttime fragrance.
- Harvest flowers in the early morning when they are most fragrant — they can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
- Mogra is the perfect plant for moonlight gardens — the white flowers glow in the dark and the fragrance is strongest at night.