# Crepe Jasmine (*tabernaemontana divaricata*)

The Crepe Jasmine is a beautiful flowering plant that has shiny green leaves and lovely white flowers. It often grows in gardens and can make any space look magical!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Crepe Jasmine is commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions, often in gardens and parks.
- **Also known as:** Crape Jasmine, East Indian Rosebay, Pinwheel Flower

![Crepe Jasmine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Crape_Jasmine_bd.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Arif tonmoy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crape_Jasmine_bd.jpg)

## Appearance

The Crepe Jasmine is a tropical evergreen shrub known for its glossy, dark green leaves. It has pristine white, star-shaped flowers with five petals that swirl like tiny pinwheels, making it visually distinct from true jasmine vines.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Gentianales
- **Family:** Apocynaceae
- **Genus:** Tabernaemontana

## Interesting facts

- It's a cousin to the colorful Frangipani flowers.
- Its milky sap can seal cuts in the plant!
- Its petals twist like a tiny pinwheel!
- The white flowers glow subtly at night.

## Special abilities

- **Night Scent Beacon:** Crepe Jasmine flowers release a sweet fragrance at night, which helps it attract nocturnal moths for pollination.
- **Healing Sap:** Crepe Jasmine has a milky white sap that helps it seal wounds and deters herbivores from munching on its leaves.
- **Continuous Bloomer:** Crepe Jasmine can produce flowers almost continuously in warm climates, helping it maximize its chances for reproduction.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 150-300 cm
- **Spread:** 100-250 cm
- **Flower Size:** 3-5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to Fall
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar
- **Pollinates:** Tobacco hornworm moth (*Manduca sexta*) — attracted to night fragrance
- **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — sips nectar during the day

## Traits

- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life.
- [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night.
- [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always check with an adult before touching or picking any plants.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Crepe Jasmine?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Crepe Jasmine?

150-300 cm

### How wide does Crepe Jasmine spread?

100-250 cm

### How big are the flowers on Crepe Jasmine?

3-5 cm

### When does Crepe Jasmine bloom?

Spring to Fall

### Is Crepe Jasmine edible?

No

### Is Crepe Jasmine toxic?

Mild

### What is Crepe Jasmine's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Clear Lake Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/clear-lake-park) — Florida, US · Park

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Crepe Jasmine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/crepe-jasmine)