Is night-blooming jasmine poisonous? A detailed explanation of its toxicity

Night-blooming jasmine is also known as night fragrant flower, night fragrant tree, night lilac, tuberose, night orchid fragrance and so on. It is a flowering ornamental plant native to the tropical regions of the Americas and is often grown in home courtyards and similar places. It mainly blooms at night, and its fragrance is very strong, so it cannot be placed indoors, but as an ornamental arrangement in courtyards and other places it is still quite good. Now let us take a look together at whether night-blooming jasmine is poisonous!

Is night-blooming jasmine poisonous?

Night-blooming jasmine is poisonous. Most floral fragrances are beneficial to health, but night-blooming jasmine is an exception. When people remain surrounded by this strong smell for a long time, it is inevitably harmful to health. Even for famous fragrant flowers such as narcissus and roses, after a long time, especially when breathing in these scents during sleep, they can make people uncomfortable. In particular, smelling them for a long time in the bedroom can cause insomnia, so do not place night-blooming jasmine in the bedroom. At night, when night-blooming jasmine stops photosynthesis, it releases a large amount of waste gas, which is extremely harmful to human health and can cause dizziness, coughing, and even insomnia. It is even more harmful to patients with high blood pressure and heart disease. Therefore, at night one should not linger for long in front of a clump of night-blooming jasmine.

The uses of night-blooming jasmine

1. Ornamental: Night-blooming jasmine has slender branches and blooms in summer and autumn. Its yellow-green flowers open in the evening and give off waves of strong, pungent fragrance. In the south it is often used to decorate courtyards, areas in front of windows, pond edges, and pavilion sides, and it has a certain ornamental value.

2. Medicinal: Night-blooming jasmine can be used as medicine. It has the effect of clearing the liver and improving eyesight, and can treat red, swollen, and painful eyes, measles affecting the eyes, corneal opacities, and so on.

3. Edible: Night-blooming jasmine can be eaten, mainly by using its fresh flowers and flower buds. It is a semi-wild vegetable.

4. Mosquito repellent: Night-blooming jasmine is relatively strong in fragrance and has a certain toxicity, so it can drive away mosquitoes, which is also a convenience in life. Usually, gauze screens are fitted on windows and the plant is grown outdoors.

How to grow night-blooming jasmine

1. Prepare potting soil: Night-blooming jasmine prefers loose, well-drained, organic-rich, slightly acidic soil. Its potting soil is generally made from 3 parts peat soil or leaf mold plus 2 parts coarse river mud and a small amount of farmyard manure. When potting, fill about 1/5 of the depth at the bottom with granular crushed brick pieces to facilitate pot drainage, and use the prepared potting soil for cultivation in the upper part.

2. Suitable environment: Potted night-blooming jasmine requires well-ventilated environmental conditions. From early May to the end of September, it should be placed in a sunny spot in the courtyard or on a balcony for care. Although it likes ample sunlight, it should avoid scorching sun exposure at noon in summer.

3. Fertilization management: During its growth process, apply liquid fertilizer once every 10 to 15 days. Starting in late April, apply a dilute liquid fertilizer once every half month. From mid-May onward, continuous flowering can be ensured. If high-efficiency humic acid liquid fertilizers such as Chunquan 883 or Huimanfeng can be applied, the effect will be even better.

4. Water management: Summer is the peak growth season. In addition to applying sufficient fertilizer, the potting soil must be kept constantly moist, and if necessary, water twice a day. If it is a seedling, spray water on the leaf surface once to twice a day.

5. Temperature management: In mid-to-late October each year, it should be moved into a shed or indoor room. The shed or room temperature should be kept at 8°C to 12°C. If the temperature is lower than 5°C, the leaves will turn yellow and fall off until the plant dies.

6. Repot at the right time: Repotting should preferably be done in early April in spring before the plant is moved outdoors. When repotting, remove part of the old soil and old roots, replace with new culture soil, and carry out heavy pruning to encourage new branches. After repotting, keep the potting soil moist, but there must be no standing water in the pot. If the young leaves are found to droop slightly after repotting, water promptly.

7. Adjust plant shape: During cultivation and management, a trellis needs to be set up. After the plant climbs onto the trellis, pinch the tips promptly to encourage more branching. After flowering, promptly cut off the remaining flower stalks and apply additional fertilizer. After the flowers fade, cut away dead and dry branches and leaves as well as overly dense branches, and shorten excessively vigorous growth.