A Versatile Plant: How to Care for & 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.

Step 1:

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.

Step 2: In the Back Corner of My Garden Sharing Star Jasmine Growing Tips

Step 3: ​How to Care for & Grow Star Jasmine:

This Star Jasmine climbs to 25′ with the help of wires in a corner of this building.

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′.

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.

Step 4:

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.

Step 5: Things to Love About Star Jasmine

Flowers in starry clusters against a blue desert sky.

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

Comments

[BirgitJansen]

How do you prune it? Meticulously, branch by branch like roses or do you just "hack" at it like a hedge? So far I have always pretty much neglected mine, not knowing what to do. Would be nice to give it a bit more shape. Thanks for the instructable, by the way. :-)

[JoyUsGarden]

You're very welcome. If it's a hedge form, yes, you can prune it just like a hedge. I'll be pruning this one in a few weeks so I'll be explaining as I go a long. I'll do a video & blog post on it for you. Nell

[BirgitJansen]

Oh good, I'll wait and see how you do it. Thanks!!

[JoyUsGarden]

Sounds good! Nell

[rainingfiction]

Th at looks great. I should send this to my grand mother!

[JoyUsGarden]

It's a lovely plant. And thank you!