Many people can’t forget the fragrance of jasmine — it’s so pure and elegant that it’s become a staple ingredient for many high-end perfumes and essential oils. But did you know there are actually many different varieties of jasmine? Let’s take a look at some of the most common ones.
Pen-Tip Jasmine (Bǐjiān Jasmine)
This variety is named for its slender petals, which look like the tip of a calligraphy brush. It comes in two main types: single-petal and double-petal. Both are relatively easy to grow. Single-petal blooms only last about two days, but the plant produces a large number of flowers and blooms continuously throughout summer. The double-petal type lasts a bit longer — around three days — and has a stronger fragrance, making it another prolific bloomer.
Common Double-Petal Jasmine
This is the most widely seen variety in flower markets. Its fragrance is slightly milder than single-petal pen-tip jasmine but still delightful, and it’s very beginner-friendly. The flowers are about 2 cm in diameter. The petals are arranged a bit loosely — not as perfectly layered as Pearl Jasmine — but each bloom lasts longer than pen-tip jasmine’s.
Pearl Jasmine (Bǎozhū Jasmine)
Pearl Jasmine is a double-petal variety with flowers that are round and compact, resembling a small “pearl.” When fully open, the flower looks like a miniature camellia, measuring 3–4 cm across. Pearl Jasmine comes in two forms: pointed-leaf and round-leaf. As the names suggest, the leaf tips are either pointed or rounded.
Tiger-Head Jasmine (Hǔtóu Jasmine)
This is a variant of Pearl Jasmine. At first glance they look similar, but Tiger-Head Jasmine has leaves arranged in whorls of three (rather than pairs like Pearl Jasmine). Its flowers are larger, with more than 50 petals per bloom, and can be as big as 6 cm in diameter. Each flower typically lasts about three days. Like Pearl Jasmine, it also comes in pointed-leaf and round-leaf types.
Chrysanthemum Jasmine
Nicknamed “the king of jasmine,” this variety produces flowers just slightly smaller than Tiger-Head Jasmine — around 5 cm across. The petals are longer and narrower, giving the blossoms a chrysanthemum-like shape with a naturally elegant appearance.
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