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A Plant of Lusty Appeal
March certainly presents its share of plant related challenges for the gardener. We truly look forward to those initial peaks of color from the early-blooming plants. The challenge comes with their diminished appeal once bloom is complete; they are either overlooked at local garden centers or simply not available due to a lack of consumer interest. Fortunately, some plants can provide alternative rolls in the garden once flowering has passed. I have found Winter Jasmine or Jasminum nudiflorum to be just such a utilitarian plant. Jasminum is a member of the Oleaceae or Olive family and contains over 200 species. The genus was first penned by Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753 when he named and described Jasminum officinalis. The name is derived from the Persian Yasameen, which means “gift from god,” describing the heavenly floral fragrance
of this species. Jasminum officinalis has been cultivated for several thousand years and has been in commerce for so long that the location of its native provenance is uncertain. It appears to be native from the Caucus region east to Western China and has proven hardy in North America to zone 7 (0-10º F). Although Fragrant Jasmine is only marginally hardy at best, Winter Jasmine has proven to be very hardy, readily surviving zone 6 winters when temperatures dip to 10 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. It is native to Northern China, growing in thickets on slopes and in ravines. It is also very tolerant of varying soil conditions, thriving in sandy or silt loams as well as either alkaline or acidic conditions. The species was authored by the English botanist, gardener and orchid aficionado John Lindley (1799-1865) in 1846. The species epithet of nudiflorum means “naked flower” and stems from the plant’s habit of blooming on naked branches before the leaves appear in April.
The red-tipped yellow flower buds open to threequarter-inch golden yellow flowers with red markings on the undersides of the five or six, radially arranged petals. The flowers appear sporadically along the deep green stems during warm spells in January and February, with the main display in March. The one amenity that the flowers are wanting is the strong fragrance of its cousin. At best, the fragrance can be considered as musty moss. It appears the plants are also not self-fertile and those grown in cultivation lack the genetic diversity necessary to produce the small black fruits. Even when not in flower, the leafbare stems of winter provide a rich, deep-green accent for the garden. The stems arch upwards of three to four feet in height, although they are recorded to grow taller. When they come in contact with the soil, they root and repeat the arching habit, making the plant an excellent candidate as groundcover. The compound leaves appear alternately along the stems in
IFNH Building Makes List of New Jersey’s 25 Must-See Buildings While architecture is considered an art based on utility and aesthetics, in the ordinary developed landscape, few structures stand out as striking designs. In this light, USA Today Travel asked American Institute of Architects (AIA) chapters across the country to name 25 structures visitors should see in their state. Included on the list of “25 must-see buildings in New Jersey” is the New Jersey Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health building at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences on the George H. Cook Campus. This designation is duly notable considering the honor is shared with such iconic New Jersey structures as the Statue of Liberty, the George Washington Bridge, Thomas Edison’s House, a Frank Lloyd Wright house and a doo-wop motel in Wildwood. While the top 25 distinguished buildings represent a range of eras, the IFNH building is one of the few contemporary structures featured. To add another feather to Rutgers’ cap, an additional contemporary structure on the list is yet another Rutgers building, the Rutgers Business School building on Livingston Campus in Piscataway. However, the double recognition doesn’t end there—another building designed by Ballinger, the architectural firm that designed the IFNH building, made the list—the historic RCA Victor Building in Camden. Ballinger has received two awards from the New Jersey chapter of AIA for its design of IFNH. Students, faculty and staff have embraced the IFNH building as the go-to place on the Cook Campus. The bright, open design with multi-functional uses and spaces serves as a popular venue for dining, conferences, meetings and special events. The building serves as Rutgers’ focal point for interdisciplinary collaboration between the university’s research and outreach initiatives in food science, nutrition, public policy, pharmacy, exercise science and sport studies, genetics, agriculture and health sciences research. A top priority of the institute focuses on stemming the epidemic rise in childhood obesity and obesityrelated disorders such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Thus the space is filled with facilities and an atmosphere that revolve around health and wellness. Features of the building include: health and nutritional research laboratories; conference, board and classrooms; the Center for Health and Human Performance; the Culture of Health Academy–a children’s education and research center–part of New Jersey Healthy Kids Initiative; an open-concept office suite, a student health and wellness center; and the spots that draw the most devotees: Harvest healthy dining venue and a three-stories high living wall, growing 72 different species of plants. Aside from Passion Puddle during the school’s convocation, the living wall may be the most photographed spot on campus.
April, with each leaf consisting of three to five lance-shaped leaflets of three-quarters to one inch. The leaves remain a deep green throughout the summer, fading to an unspectacular yellow fall color. As mentioned, the plant lends itself to making a dense and fairly weed-suppressing groundcover. However, it can also be thinned and trained up on a wall or over a fence to become an interesting espalier or vine-like architectural compliment, ultimately reaching eight to 12 feet tall. The plants also look spectacular when located above a wall, as the stems will reach over the wall and cascade down 10 to 12 feet. Not only does this help to soften the architecture of the wall, but it also provides a very effective manner of presenting the floral display! With an ironclad constitution and wintertime floral interest that is only enhanced by an inability to self-sow and – much like its cousin Forsythia – resistance to deer browse, one would think this would be a commonly
March 2018 7 used plant. Unfortunately, when most people are shopping for plants, it is but one of those green “things” in a container and people pass it by without a second glance. Jasminum nudiflorum is an incredibly useful plant for brightening and enhancing the garden throughout the year. Its lusty appeal and worthiness warrants recognition by far more individuals in the gardening world! Editor’s Note: Bruce Crawford is a lover of plants since birth; is the managing director of the Rutgers Gardens, a 180-acre outdoor teaching classroom, horticultural research facility and arboretum; an adjunct professor in Landscape Architecture at the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences; regularly participates in the Rutgers – Continuing Education Program; and the immediate pastpresident of the Garden State Gardens Consortium. He can be reached at (732) 932-8451. For more information, please visit www.rutgersgardens.rutgers.edu
Rutgers Cooperative Extension Phone Directory Atlantic County Phone: 609-625-0056 Bergen County Phone: 201-336-6780 Burlington County Phone: 609-265-5050 Camden County Phone: 856 216 7130 Cape May County Phone: 609-465-5115 Cumberland County Phone: 856-451-2800 Essex County Phone: 973-228-2210 Gloucester County Phone: 856-307-6450 Hudson County Phone: 201-915-1399 Hunterdon County Phone: 908-788-1339 Mercer County Phone: 609-989-6830
Middlesex County Phone: 732-398-5260 Monmouth County Phone: 732-431-7260 Morris County Phone: 973-285-8300 Ocean County Phone:732-349-1246 Passaic County Phone: 973-305-5740 Salem County Phone: 856-769-0090 Somerset County Phone: 908-526-6293 Sussex County Phone: 973-948-3040 Union County Phone: 908-654-9854 Warren County Phone: 908-475-6505