Japanese name: オウバイ（黄梅） Scientific name:Jasminum nudiflorum
[Overview]
A deciduous shrub 1–1.5 m tall.
The stems are green with 4 ridges, and the tips droop.
When horizontally extending branches touch the ground, they root from the nodes.
The leaves are opposite, composed of 3 leaflets, with entire margins.
The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils and bloom in February–March before the leaves emerge.
The flowers are yellow, 2–2.5 cm across, salverform, with 6 lobes.
[History]
It is said to have been introduced to Japan before the Kanbun era (1661–73).
[Cultivation]
Propagate by cuttings or layering.
It prefers a sunny site and sandy soil.
Because the branches droop, it suits slopes and the tops of stone walls.
The flowers are borne on the previous year's branches, so prune immediately after flowering.
