Elizabeth is a Permaculture Garden Designer, Sustainability Consultant and Professional Writer, working as an advocate for positive change. She graduated from the University of St. Andrews with an MA in English and Philosophy and obtained a Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design from the Permaculture Association.
Reviewed By PETER LICKORISH
Peter is a Horticulture Lecturer and self-employed Horticulturist, with a passion for diverse areas of the industry - from garden design to the science behind plant growth and propagation. He has completed the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture (MHort) Award and lectures on RHS courses at Bedford College.
IN THIS GUIDE
Commonly grown as an ornamental garden plant in milder areas, and as a houseplant, there are a number of reasons to grow star jasmine, wherever you live.
While Star Jasmine might not be the easiest plant to grow, it certainly can be a rewarding one to feature in your home or garden.
An attractive woody climbing plant, it is particularly prized for its evergreen foliage and its wonderfully scented flowers.
In the UK, Star Jasmine can be grown as a climber in a sheltered and sunny garden in the south.
Further north, it can be grown undercover in a greenhouse or polytunnel, or in a container indoors.
Overview
| Botanical Name | Trachelospermum jasminoides |
| Common Name(s) | Star Jasmine |
| Plant Type | Climbers |
| Native Area | Japan, Korea, Southern China & Vietnam |
| Hardiness Rating | H4 |
| Foliage | Glossy, evergreen, ovate leaves |
| Flowers | Fragrant white flowers |
| When To Sow | April to May or September to October |
| Flowering Months | June to August |
| When To Prune | March to April or August |
Sunlight
Preferred
Full Sun / Partial Shade
Exposure
Sheltered
Size
Height
4 – 8M
Spread
4 – 8M
Bloom Time
June – August
Soil
Preferred
Chalk, Loam, Sand
Moisture
Well Drained
pH
Any (Except Highly Acidic)
Star Jasmine is a flowering plant in the Apocynaceae family.1Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides). (n.d.). iNaturalist. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/169856-Trachelospermum-jasminoides
It is native to Japan, Korea, southern China and Vietnam, but is now commonly grown in many gardens and homes around the world.2Rojas-Sandoval, J. (2022b). Trachelospermum jasminoides (star-jasmine). CABI Compendium. https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.52837
Scented white flowers appear from mid to late summer, and the dark green leaves turn an attractive bronze colour over the winter months.
For growing indoors, or taking undercover in winter, there are also related Trachelospermum asiaticum – varieties of less hardy star jasmines.
The cultivar ‘Ogon Nishiki’ has variegated leaves with gold, yellow and white contrast that also have lovely autumn colouration.
Why Grow Star Jasmine?
Star Jasmine is predominantly grown as an ornamental plant.
It can be beneficial as an evergreen climber in milder climes to cover an unattractive south or west-facing wall or fence throughout the year.
This is also a good plant for attracting bees, butterflies and moths when grown outdoors.
As slow-growing plants, they can be useful for small gardens in areas where they can be grown outdoors – and can also work well as houseplants where space is at a premium.
But perhaps the biggest selling point for star jasmine is the delightful fragrance of the blooms.
The lovely smell makes this an excellent choice for indoors areas, or for placing close to seating areas in a garden.
Where To Grow
Temperature & Exposure
Star Jasmine can be grown outdoors where temperatures will not drop below around -5°C – and where conditions are warm in summer and relatively sheltered throughout the year.
In milder southern reaches of the UK, star jasmine can be grown outdoors, though it is still best to position it with the protection of a wall – a sunny location against a south or west-facing wall will be ideal.
Though a full-sun location is usually best, Star Jasmine can also cope with partial shade.
Of course, in less mild and more northerly gardens, it is best to grow star jasmine indoors, or to take it inside for protection over the winter months.
Star Jasmine is particularly intolerant of cold, drying winds and it can be a little fussy about temperatures and climatic conditions.
Soil Requirements
Fortunately, Star Jasmine does not need deep soil to grow well, so it can be grown successfully in containers – but the soil or growing medium in which it is planted must be free-draining, as this is a plant that does not like to have wet feet.
Ideally, the soil or growing medium should be moderate to high in fertility, and have a neutral to alkaline pH, but Star Jasmine will also grow in slightly acidic soils.
Support
Star Jasmine is self-clinging, but one thing to bear in mind when choosing a position for your plant, is that it may need to be tied into some form of support until it is properly established.
This is true whether you are growing it in the ground or in a container.
How to Grow Star Jasmine
Next, let’s take a look at how to grow Star Jasmine.
Propagating
Most gardeners will simply choose to purchase a plant from a garden centre or plant nursery – but to keep costs down and be more environmentally friendly, it is always a good idea to consider first whether you can propagate an existing plant (perhaps one belonging to a friend or neighbour).
Star Jasmine is usually propagated by layering in spring, or from semi-ripe cuttings taken between June-October.
The cuttings of Star Jasmine will tend to root better if they are placed in a propagator providing bottom heat of 15-20°C.
Star Jasmine rarely produces seeds in the UK, since our summers are cooler and shorter than those in the plant’s native range, so it is not usually possible to propagate this plant from seed.
Planting
If you are planting Star Jasmine in the ground, dig a generous hole and fork in plenty of grit and homemade compost in the base.
“For container growing, mixing in some John Innes or loam-based compost, plus some grit, can add the stability that this otherwise top-heavy plant requires,” shares Peter Lickorish, a Master Horticulturist.
Worm castings from a vermicomposting system can be particularly beneficial as a soil amendment.
As a woody plant, Star Jasmine may also benefit from the addition of some mycorrhizal fungi (or forest leaf litter or leaf mould) into the planting hole.
This can aid in the establishment of a healthy root and fungal network below the soil.
Push back the soil and firm it down. Then water well.
If you are growing your plant in a container, it is best to choose one which is at least 45cm deep and 45cm wide.
Make sure there is adequate drainage in the base, and that this does not become blocked by the growing medium.
Ongoing Plant Care
Watering
Star Jasmine should always be kept well-watered, especially during the summer months.
During the winter, far less watering will be required.
Remember, watering needs will always be somewhat higher for container-grown plants.
So if you are growing your plant in a container, it is especially important to remain vigilant and make sure that it does not dry out.
Mulching & Feeding
Whether you are growing in the ground or in a container, it is a good idea to top-dress the area around your plant with good-quality compost, leaf mould, or well-rotted manure in the spring.
The mulch will add slow-release fertility and will also help reduce moisture loss from the soil or growing medium.
Especially if you are growing in a container, it is also a good idea to apply an organic liquid plant feed every month or so through the growing season.
A balanced liquid feed such as a compost tea could be ideal.
A seaweed liquid feed could help in making sure that your Star jasmine has all the micro-nutrients it needs for optimum health.
To train your plant to grow upwards, provide canes, or stakes set at an angle towards the trellis structure, fence or wall that you wish it to climb.
Tie in young plants as required, until it self-clings, then simply tie in any stray or wandering shoots to send them in the right direction as required.
Pruning Guidelines
Not much pruning will be required but remember ‘the three D’s’ and prune out dead, damaged or diseased shoots on established climbers as required.
Maintenance pruning is best done in the spring.
If necessary, you can also do a radical renovation of a mature plant and cut back all shoots by two-thirds.
This is best done immediately after flowering, in August.
New shoots should then break forth from the base of the plant and remaining branches.
Some thinning of these new shoots may then be required.
You can also prune to shape if a mature plant is getting out of control, but with this relatively slow-growing plant, this is not usually a concern.
“I find the elegant twisting of the foliage and the red hue in winter especially endearing,” Peter adds.
“This can be accentuated by training stems in a less dense way, such as an espalier shape on a wall.
“Equally, I have seen them clipped to form a dense mass of foliage to fill a small, square wall complete with a crisp edge.”
Consider growing some star jasmine where you live and enjoy its beautiful appearance and attractive blooms.
Care for it well and it should be a plant that rewards you well in the years to come.
