Star Jasmine
Mid spring through late summer, depending on the region and variety
HOW TO GROW STAR JASMINE PLANTS
Jasmine is a sweetly scented vine or shrub that adds color and fragrance to the landscape. Star jasmine (Trachelospermum), a vigorous evergreen vine with intensely fragrant star-shaped flowers, blooms over a long period from late spring through summer. Despite its name, it isn’t a true jasmine, but related to oleander, periwinkle, and milkweed.
Native to China, Japan, and Korea, star jasmine is also known as confederate jasmine, southern jasmine, Chinese star jasmine, and Chinese ivy. This versatile vining plant can be grown on an arbor or other structure, as a living screen or hedging, in containers, or as a ground cover. Star jasmine is low-maintenance and virtually free of pests and diseases. Here’s how to grow and use star jasmine in your landscape.
On this page:
- BASICS
- PLANTING STAR JASMINE
- STAR JASMINE CARE
- STAR JASMINE VARIETIES
- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- DESIGN IDEAS
STAR JASMINE BASICS
Botanical name:
Zones:
7-11, depending on the variety
Exposure:
Full sun to partial sun
Height/spread:
2 to 20 feet tall and wide, depending on the variety and how it’s grown. Vertical vines can reach up to 20 feet tall, while ground covers will grow 1 to 2 feet tall.
Bloom time:
Mid spring through late summer, depending on the region and variety
Plant type and growth habit:
Star jasmine is an evergreen woody vine that can be grown vertically, pruned into a shrub or used as a ground cover. The twining growth habit allows stems to be trained up structures such as arbors, pergolas, and trellises, though the tendrils will not attach to masonry. When allowed to sprawl horizontally as a ground cover, star jasmine will develop new roots along the runners.
Foliage:
Glossy leaves are oblong-shaped with pointed ends. The foliage has dark green or variegated coloring, with some varieties acquiring hints of bronze during colder winter temperatures.
Flowers:
Star jasmine is named for the small star-shaped flowers with 5 petals. Blooms occur in clusters on new growth in shades of white, yellow, pink, or apricot. The flowers exude a heavy gardenia-like scent that becomes more pronounced on warm summer evenings.
Other attributes:
Flowers are attractive to bees. Some plants may develop long bean-like seed pods after flowering.
Is star jasmine deer resistant?
Deer are repelled by the strong fragrance, though they will eat almost anything if hungry enough.
Is star jasmine poisonous?
Star jasmine is not toxic to pets or humans, though mild digestive upset can occur if any ornamental plant is ingested.
Note: Stems exude a white sticky sap when cut, which may cause skin irritation or stain clothing. Use caution when pruning.
HOW TO PLANT STAR JASMINE
Photo by: Janet Loughrey
When to plant:
Plant in spring when all danger of frost is past.
Where to plant:
Star jasmine can tolerate partial shade but will flower best with at least 6 hours of full sun. Protect from afternoon sun in hotter climates.
How to plant:
Loosen soil in the planting area and amend as needed. Dig a hole slightly wider, and the same depth or just a bit shallower than the root ball. Remove plant from the nursery container and tease out roots if potbound. Place in the hole so the top of the crown is slightly higher than the soil surface (plants will settle). Fill in the hole with soil, tamp down gently to remove air pockets, and water thoroughly. Water regularly until established. Space plants 3 to 10 feet apart, depending on the variety. When used as a ground cover, space at least 5 feet apart.
For containers:
When growing star jasmine in pots, use a high quality all-purpose potting mix and plant in a 3 gallon or larger container.
STAR JASMINE CARE
Soil:
Star jasmine can tolerate different soil conditions but does best in amended well drained soil with a slightly acidic soil pH of 6.0-7.0. Add compost or other rich organic matter to the soil before planting and improve drainage as needed.
Watering:
Plants perform best with regular water. Irrigate when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil feels dry. Water more frequently during prolonged heat or dry spells. Container plants will need to be watered more often. Star jasmine is drought tolerant once established.
Amendments and fertilizer:
Star jasmine needs little or no supplemental fertilizer when planted in well-amended soil. Wait until the root system is well established before fertilizing. In early spring, apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer. Avoid over-fertilizing, which may result in more foliage and fewer flowers. Apply a thin layer of compost around the base of plants each spring to feed plants, suppress weeds, and retain moisture. Yellow leaves may be a sign of nutrient deficit.
Pruning:
Star jasmine plant is amenable to pruning and can be shaped into shrubs, hedging, or espaliers. Prune and shape plants just after flowering. Because of the rapid growth rate, plants may need pruning more than once during summer or early fall. Flowers occur on new growth, so avoid pruning in spring so you don’t lose flowers for that growing season. Pinch back stem tips to encourage branching and fuller plants.
Propagation:
Star jasmine vine can be propagated by taking cuttings from established plants. Trim off a 6-inch section of a stem tip just below a leaf node. The cutting should be healthy and free of flowers. Dip the cut end of the stem in rooting hormone and place in a small pot with well-draining soil. Roots will start to develop in 2 to 3 weeks. Wait another several weeks before transplanting into the ground.
Pests and diseases:
When grown in the right conditions, star jasmine experiences few pests and diseases. Pests can include spider mites, scale, mealybugs, aphids and Japanese beetles. Diseases include leaf spot.
Overwintering:
In regions colder than USDA zone 8, container plants can be overwintered indoors.
Star Jasmine
Star Jasmine features tiny fragrant white tubular flowers along the branches from late spring to early summer. It has dark green foliage which emerges light green in spring. The glossy pointy leaves remain dark green throughout the winter. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Star Jasmine is a multi-stemmed evergreen woody vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.This woody vine will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season’s flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics. Star Jasmine is recommended for the following landscape applications;AccentHedges/ScreeningGeneral Garden UseGroundcoverContainer Planting
Star Jasmine will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 24 inches. As a climbing vine, it tends to be leggy near the base and should be underplanted with low-growing facer plants. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.This woody vine does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings. Star Jasmine makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a ‘spiller’ in the ‘spiller-thriller-filler’ container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag – this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.