A Versatile Plant: How To Care For & Grow Star Jasmine
This is all about how to care for and grow Star Jasmine.
Star Jasmine is a versatile plant indeed. It can be trained to grow on a trellis, over an arbor, as an espalier against a wall or fence, as a border plant or hedge, to spill over a wall and it’s also suited to containers. The sweetly scented star-like flowers along with the gorgeous glossy foliage are its big draw. This is all about how to care for and grow Star Jasmine.
I’m standing under a Star Jasmine arch in the kitchen garden at the Westward Look Resort here in Tucson.
This twining, vining plant isn’t a true jasmine, like Pink Jasmine which is, although the flowers would make you think otherwise. The botanic name is Tracelospermum jasminoides and it’s in the same family with a few plants you might be familiar with: oleander, plumeria, adenium and vinca. By the way, Confederate Jasmine is another common name for Star Jasmine.
In the back corner of my garden sharing Star Jasmine growing tips:
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How to care for & grow Star Jasmine:
Size
Star Jasmine can reach 25-30′ tall. It needs support to reach that height otherwise it just flops back on itself. It’s a twining vine so you’ll need to train & attach it at the start. It’ll do its thing after that & needs just a little guiding as it grows. Not hard at all to do. As a ground cover, it can easily be kept at 2′.
This Star Jasmine climbs to 25′ with the help of wires in a corner of this building.
Hardiness
It’s hardy to zone 8 & can take temperatures down to 10-15 degrees F. This plant adapts well to both heat & cold.
When to Plant
Star Jasmine is best planted in spring or fall (with enough time to settle in before the below freezing temps. hit). The plants have an easier time settling in while the days are warm & the evenings are cool. You can plant in the summer but will have to water more as it’s establishing.
Exposure
Star Jasmine takes full sun on the coast, somewhere like San Diego or San Francisco. Here in Tucson, or other places with hot summers, it needs to be protected from full sun. Mine gets 1 hour of direct sun in the morning & a little bit late in the afternoon but it’s bright all day. The more sun it gets, the more water it needs to keep it looking tip top.
Water
Regular watering is best. Here in the desert I water my Star Jasmine (which is on drip) twice a week in the hotter months. For you, regular watering might mean every 10-14 days. It’s not a drought tolerant plant but it’s not water greedy either. More sun, more heat = more water.
Soil
This plant is fairly versatile when it comes to soil but prefers it on the loamy side with good drainage. If planting in a container, use a good quality organic potting soil.
Fertilization
I’ve maintained & planted many Star Jasmines & never fertilized them. They’ve always been very happy with a good dose of organic compost. I put a 4″ layer over the planting surface of mine in winter which not only nourishes it, but holds some moisture too. If you prefer, this all purpose balanced fertilizer would be just fine to apply right after the plant is through flowering.
Star Jasmine kept low as a ground cover.
Pests
The 2 pests that I’ve seen infest Star Jasmine are mealy bugs & scale.
Pruning
Star Jasmine is best pruned right after flowering. It does ooze out a milky sap when cut but it never bothered me. It can be prune heavily, like as a border plant, or lightly, like when grown as a tall vine. I’ll prune mine after it’s through flowering & then do a light pruning in November if needed. I find this plant to be very manageable & not at all hard to prune.
Flowers
Oh yes it does! A profusion of starry white flowers cover the plant in spring or early summer, depending on your zone. The flowers are sweetly scented (not as strong as Pink Jasmine) & last for a couple of months.
Flowers in starry clusters against a blue desert sky.
Things to love about Star Jasmine
It’s versatility.
Easy to maintain. It’s manageable & takes pruning very well.
The foliage is a beautiful dark glossy green with the contrast of spring green new foliage.
You can find it in garden centers as well as big box stores. In case you don’t have any close, here’s a Star Jasmine you can order online.
This plant come in a variegated form too if that’s your thing.
And of course, the sweetly scented flowers.
I love this plant and am so glad that my new home has a well established one. Do you have a favorite? Star Jasmine Or Pink Jasmine? Inquiring horticultural minds want to know!
Happy gardening & thanks for stopping by
Nell
Joy Us garden.com
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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4 of 65 comments
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Love this Star/ Confederate Jasmine which is very hardy in SC also! Also love that it is evergreen as I have covered a not very attractive fence with it. One problem; it does not do well in shade. Still trying to cover those shady areas of the fence. And yes, easy to keep contained.
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The summer gets up to 115 degrees here in central California so the shade helps keep plants alive.
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I have this and absouletly love it. Charleston, SC
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
We planted a star jasmine a couple years ago. Then had a very cold winter. We're on Willamette Vallet Oregon near Corvallis. The leaves turned reddish yellow and basically stopped growing or flowering. What should we do?
Can it be cut and transplanted?
I am just about to pot my first star jasmine to grow up over a new pergola. I have a brick pylon that I will stand the pot next to and the pergola is attached to the pylon. Is it best to have a long stake for the plant to grow up first ?