Jasminum officinale facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jasminum officinale |
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| Botanical illustration of Jasminum officinale | |
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Jasminum
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officinale
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Jasminum officinale, often called the common jasmine or just jasmine, is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the olive family called Oleaceae. This plant is famous for its lovely scent and pretty white flowers.
Discovering Common Jasmine
The common jasmine is a strong plant that grows like a climber. It has bright green leaves that fall off in winter (deciduous). In summer, it grows clusters of pure white, star-shaped flowers. These flowers are the reason for its amazing, strong scent.
People have grown jasmine for thousands of years. They love it not only for its small, white flowers but also for its wonderful smell. It's also known by other names like summer jasmine, poet's jasmine, white jasmine, true jasmine or jessamine. Gardeners in many parts of the world really value it for its intense fragrance.
Jasmine is also the National flower of Pakistan. Some traditional medicines use parts of the jasmine plant for skin issues.
The Story of Jasmine
This lovely plant first grew in the foothills of the Western Himalayas. It also grew in the Indus Valley plains of the Pakistani Punjab. From there, people started growing it in other parts of the Indian subcontinent, China, the Middle East, and other areas of Asia.
Later, jasmine traveled to France, Italy, and the Mediterranean region. Eventually, it made its way to the rest of Western Europe and Britain. Today, you can find jasmine growing all over the world. There are many different types, or varieties, of jasmine.
In Pakistan, jasmine is a very common plant. You can find it in almost any garden. Because of its attractive scent, the white jasmine has special meanings. It symbolizes friendship and represents kindness and humility. This is why jasmine was chosen as the national flower of Pakistan.
Images for kids
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Essential oil
See also
In Spanish: Jazmín morisco para niños
