Gardening Plants & Flowers Flowers

How to Grow and Care for Stephanotis

Stephanotis flowers with white trumpet-shaped petals surrounded with leaves

The Spruce / K. Dave

Stephanotis, also commonly known as Madagascar jasmine or bridal flower, is a flowering vine with small and fragrant white blooms and glossy, oval green leaves. Stephanotis grows best in humid, tropical conditions with warm winters. The plant requires full sunlight, moist soil on the acidic side, and temperatures consistently between 65 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Common Name Stephanotis, Madagascar jasmine, bridal flower
Botanical Name Marsdenia floribunda (formerly Stephanotis floribunda)
Family Apocynaceae (formerly Asclepiadaceae)
Plant Type Perennial, vine
Mature Size 3-4 ft. tall indoors, 10-20 ft. tall outdoors
Sun Exposure Full, partial
Soil Type Well-drained
Soil pH Acidic
Bloom Time Spring, summer
Flower Color White
Hardiness Zones  10-13 (USDA)
Native Area Madagascar

Stephanotis Care

Here are the main care requirements for growing stephanotis:

  • Provide a suitable trellis, wire round, or fencing for the vine to support the tendrils and avoid a tangled mess.
  • Plant in full sun or part shade.
  • Keep a humid environment and moist soil for the plant indoors or out. Maintaining and tweaking humidity levels throughout the year is the trickiest part of growing this finicky plant.
  • Follow proper overwintering steps for this plant.
Stephanotis plant with white tubular flowers in brown pot

The Spruce / K. Dave

Stephanotis plant with white flowers and buds on top of dark green leaves

The Spruce / K. Dave

Stephanotis plant with curved stems, oval and dark green leaves and white flowers outside

The Spruce / K. Dave

Light

Outdoors the plant requires full sun though afternoon shade may help the vine from becoming scorched. Indoors the plant needs a sunny windowsill for growth.

Soil

Use soil with a high content of loam and peat moss. Keep the soil well-draining by adding perlite or coarse sand. Add some organic matter to provide essential trace nutrients and to help to acidify the soil between a pH of 5.5 to 6.5.

Water

Stephanotis vines like moist but not soggy soil. Don’t try to make up for a lack of humidity by overwatering the plant; you’ll end up with root rot. Water the plant infrequently if you have a cooler, less humid environment.

Temperature and Humidity

Stephanotis vines are very intolerant of frost, and will only grow outdoors in zones 10 and warmer. Stephanotis vines appreciate a cool root run, so cover the soil with shredded bark or another natural mulch. 

Do what you can to boost the humidity around the plant throughout the growing season: mist the plant, keep it beside a water feature, keep the pot in a dish of pebbles and water, or spray the concrete of your patio.

Fertilizer

In the spring, when the weather begins to warm, fertilize your stephanotis with a balanced flower fertilizer, following product label instructions. Fertilize the plant once a month until the winter resting time resumes.

Types of Stephanotis

  • 'Isabella' produces larger flowers and foliage with a vigorous growth pattern and delicious fragrance.
  • 'Puanani' is very similar to 'Isabella.' These cultivars were bred to make superior cut flowers.

Pruning

Pruning does not harm this plant. Prune the vine lightly in the late winter, just to retain a pleasing form. Find the main stems and trim off side shoots to reduce the size of the plant. You can also cut the main stems by half their size to lighten the plant. Take care not to allow the plant's milky sap to drip on your furniture.

Propagating Stephanotis

Propagate stephanotis with cuttings any time during the year. Take these steps:

  1. Choose a cutting with internodes between 1 and 2 inches apart. You will want to insert two of the nodes into rooting medium for better results.
  2. Remove the lower leaves on the cutting but leave two or three leaves on top of the stem and dip the bottom of the cutting into rooting hormone.
  3. Fill a small container with sand, peat, or perlite and insert cuttings up to 4 inches deep.
  4. Mist the cutting or provide a humid environment in bright conditions.
  5. Cuttings will root in four to six weeks and may flower in a year.

How to Grow Stephanotis From Seed

It is considered difficult to grow stephanotis from seed because it is rare to produce the fruit with the seed. More often older stephanotis vines will produce the fruit and pods. The pods may take months to almost a year to ripen enough to harvest the seeds. The seeds are smallish, white, and furry. If you do have withered, brown pods with seeds, you can try the following:

  1. Harvest seeds from split pods and begin preparing to plant the seeds immediately for best germination rates. The seeds do not need to be dried out or stratified.
  2. Place seeds in a tray or small pot filled with potting soil and cover with soil.
  3. Keep humidity levels high by placing a clear plastic bag over the tray or pot.
  4. Place the container in a bright spot without direct sunlight and keep the tray or pot warm (about 75 degrees Fahrenheit).
  5. Once a few true leaves have emerged, transplant the seedling into a larger pot with potting soil and trellising to support the rapidly growing vines.

Potting and Repotting Stephanotis

Due to the plant's vigorous growth, you may need to repot stephanotis every other year to a larger container. Choose a large container with adequate drainage holes for your stephanotis vine. Fill it with half potting soil and half leaf mold or compost. Always provide a trellis, hoop, or lattice to support the vine.

Overwintering

Overwintering stephanotis grown indoors is extremely important for proper care of the plant. Winter care seems like an afterthought for the stephanotis, but don’t ignore it during this critical resting phase or the plant will begin to deteriorate. Here are steps you need to take to ensure your indoor plant survives and thrives:

  • Even though the plant loves humidity, cease humidity efforts in winter and allow the vine’s atmosphere to become dry.
  • The plant requires very little watering in the winter.
  • Do not fertilize the plant in the winter.
  • Stephanotis vines like cool, bright conditions in the winter. The plant prefers a cool greenhouse environment kept in the range of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A heating element may be necessary to keep the temperature regulated. Temperatures lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and especially any frost, can kill the plant.
  • Do not prune the plant until late winter or early spring.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Watch for spider mites and scale, which proliferate in greenhouses on stressed plants. Other common pests include the root-knot nematode, aphids, mealybugs, and thrips

The most common disease to affect stephanotis is root rot as a result of overwatering or having wet feet. The plant can also show sooty mold, a fungal disease that occurs on many flowering plants when insects, such as scale, leave behind "honeydew" secretions that attract fungi. The problem with sooty mold is that the layer of mold will inhibit the photosynthesis process. Carefully monitor insect problems to control sooty mold.

How to Get Stephanotis to Bloom

Bloom Months

Whether you grow the vine in full sun or partial shade, blooms are most substantial in late spring to early summer. They may flower from October to November, as well.

How Long Does Stephanotis Bloom?

The flowers last longest when you leave them on the vine. Keep cut stephanotis flowers in a cool area with high humidity to prolong their beauty and delay browning. 

What Do Stephanotis Flowers Look and Smell Like?

The stephanotis plant is known for its small, trumpet-shaped white waxy flowers with five petals totaling 2 inches across. The flowers resemble jasmine in appearance and scent. The flowers have a rich perfume-like fragrance. Stephanotis flowers are also referred to as bridal veil, bridal wreath, and bridal bouquet for their popularity in wedding flower arrangements. 

How to Encourage More Blooms

The plant will have more flowers when it is growing in temperatures that stay about 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Afternoon shade in the summer will help flowers from scorching. 

Winter is usually a rest phase for this plant. But for an indoor stephanotis plant, you can try to help it to flower in the winter by offering four to six hours of light.

Caring for Stephanotis After It Blooms

Continue to deadhead spent flowers to encourage more blooms.

Common Problems With Stephanotis

This is a demanding and particular plant that may present many problems. Here are a few to watch for.

Dropping Flowers and Leaves

The plant may be stressed from extreme temperature changes or watering issues. Avoid moving stephanotis, especially when it's flowering.

Patches on Leaves or Stems

Any odd patches on leaves or stems that look wooly or brown indicate a pest problem. Remove pests by hand when possible.

Yellow Leaves

You will need to fertilize the plant. Try a more frequent weekly feeding. Remove yellow leaves and see how the plant reacts to the new feeding schedule.

No Buds or Flowers

The plant will not produce buds if it is growing in low humidity, too cool temperatures, no fertilizer, or poor winterizing.

FAQ
  • Is stephanotis the same as jasmine?

    The blooms of stephanotis resemble common jasmine (Jasminum officinale) or even vining jasmine (Jasminum polyanthum). However, the flowers are not related, as common and vining jasmine are part of the olive (Oleaceae) family.

  • Is stephanotis easy to care for?

    This flower is very difficult to care for since it's so fussy with its needs. That's why it's typically grown commercially rather than at home.

  • Is stephanotis an indoor or outdoor plant?

    It can be either depending on where you live. It's a tropical plant so it can be grown outdoors in zones 10 and warmer. Grow it indoors below zone 10.

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  1. Stephanotis floribunda. North Carolina State Extension.

  2. Stephanotis 'Isabella' and 'Puanani'. University of Hawaii Extension.

  3. Stephanotis 'Isabella' and 'Puanani'. University of Hawaii Extension.