I have an Arabian Jasmine Plant that smells like poop. Is this normal?

Question

I bought a beautiful arabian jasmine plant from Home Depot. Pictured here: http://m.flickr.com/#/photos/ranah_williams/9073042222/
I noticed in the evening, I started smelling a poop like smell. More specifically, poop and flowers. Like when someone does a number 2 in the bathroom and tries to mask it with a flowery spray. I started wondering if my dog had pooped somewhere in the house. But this would be strange behavior for him. After looking keenly, and finding no source of the smell, my mom (who's visiting) and I came to the conclusion it must be the Jasmine plant. But the strange thing is that when standing directly over the plant, the flowers smell fragrant and good. But when we moved the plant away from the area, the bad scent seemed to go away. Also, the smell does not occur during the day. So now we are confused as to whether or not it is the plant. It's driving my mother crazy and she thinks I should get rid of it. But I am not convinced it's the Jasmine. I have other plants, but I've sniffed them and detect no odors. Is it possible for Jasmine to have a sweet but pungent smell, slightly like poop?

Answer 1

Yes, the plant has indole compounds in it, which gives it the smell of poop.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Arabian Jasmine Plant

Answer 4

Ra - Ra



Yes it's normal for your plant to have this paticular Odor. Of course, odor, good or bad, depends on the person smelling it. Some people may find the odor pleasant, while others......not so much.



Shasta daisys are much the same. They smell like pee, or poop, depending on your sniffer....either way, they don't smell nice. Many plants in the daisy family have paticular odors, while others have none. Same as a Jasmine, some smell nice, while others.....like yours......smell like "poop". It's still an attractive plant and your lucky to have it blooming.



Bertram Canada

Answer 5

@Kaitlyn McPartlin, well done, you are exactly right, it is indole that has made all of you such experts on the odor of poop.



Indole, (Benzopyrrole), a heterocyclic organic compound with the molecular formula C8H7N. It is a flower oil found in some flowers such as jasmine, indole is also found in coal tar, and in fecal matter (poop).



Believe it or not indole is used in making perfume, also in making tryptophan, an essential amino acid which is also found naturally in foods like turkey. It is also used in making the rooting hormone indoleacetic acid (heteroauxin), used to promote rooting in plant cuttings.



Indole is a colorless solid with a melting point of 126.5° F. It has a pleasant fragrance in highly diluted solutions.





EDIT:

@Ra-Ra,

The thumbs down on Kaitlyn McPartlin answer is mine and it was a mistake I meant to give her a thumbs up, I don't know how I hit the thumbs down, I rarely give thumbs down to anyone and definitely not on her correct answer. She was not only the first to answer it is also the correct answer, I was surprised that anyone even knew what indole was. I only answered in support of her answer.

Answer 6

Arbian Jasmine is noted for its strongly fragrant flowers which are made into leis or in some countries used for tea. By the way it can grow to 6 or 10 feet high. I would try moving it to another location and see if the smell follows.

Answer 7

replace the airborne dirt and dirt or maximum of it and place stones over the actual. Water will bypass throughout the time of the stones once you water it, even though it rather is going to shop the cat from going potty in there as cats opt for to dig and burry their poop and this in simple terms isn't achieveable with the stones. to repair the priority of the cat going interior the plant, look ahead to whilst the cat tries it lower back or maybe seems on the plant. every time he does this, squirt him with a squirt bottle. it rather is going to coach him its no longer okay to try this. it won't harm him, it rather is going to easily worry him and act as a punishment. Cats do unlike water or being grimy.