Shrub · Apocynaceae
Star Jasmine
Trachelospermum jasminoides
Give star jasmine a fence or wall to climb and it thanks you with clouds of sweet white flowers.
Full sun
Every 5–10 days
USDA 8–10
3–20 ft · 0.9–6.1 m
Overview
Star jasmine is an easygoing evergreen from the dogbane family, and it grows happily as a climbing vine, a low sprawling shrub, or a soft groundcover, whichever suits your space. Its white pinwheel flowers open in late spring and fill the evening air with a scent you can catch from clear across the yard. The glossy dark leaves stay green right through the year, so even between blooms the plant still looks lovely.
It climbs by twining, which simply means it wraps itself around whatever you offer, so a trellis, a length of wire, or a fence gives it a happy home. Let it wander across open ground instead and it settles into a dense, weed-smothering mat. Whichever path you pick, it grows fast and reaches 3 to 20 feet (91 cm to 6 m) once it feels at home.
Here is the reassuring part: star jasmine forgives beginners. It brushes off most pests, accepts a wide range of soils, and weathers short cold snaps in milder gardens without complaint. Offer it sun, decent drainage, and something to climb, and it mostly takes care of itself.
Care
The short version: give it full sun for the fullest bloom, soil that stays evenly moist yet drains well, and a support to twine up. Once it settles in it copes with dry spells and asks very little of you.
Light
Star jasmine blooms best in full sun, though it is content in partial shade and grows fine in bright indirect light indoors. Just remember that deep shade trades flowers for leggy green stems, so the brighter the spot you can offer, the more generous the bloom.
Water
While a young plant is finding its feet, keep the soil evenly moist and water it around every 5 to 10 days. Once it settles in it turns drought tolerant, so you only really need the hose during genuine dry spells, which takes a lot of the worry away.
Soil
It is happiest in fertile, well-drained loam with a little leaf mold mixed in, and it will put up with a fair range of soils. Aim for a pH somewhere between 6.0 and 7.5. The one thing it truly dislikes is soggy roots, so good drainage matters more than getting anything else just right.
Temperature
Star jasmine copes with a wide swing, from about 10°F to 100°F (-12°C to 38°C). That hardiness is what lets it live outdoors in zones 8 to 10, and if your winters run colder, a pot you can carry inside keeps it perfectly safe.
Humidity
Ordinary average humidity suits it just fine, so there is no target number to chase. It settles happily into normal indoor and outdoor air without any fuss from you.
Feeding
Feed it once in spring with a balanced general-purpose fertilizer to power the season ahead. If the leaves start to yellow in alkaline ground, an iron supplement or acidifier gently brings the healthy green back.
Pruning
Prune after flowering to keep its size and shape where you want them, and tuck the twining stems onto their support as they reach out. The sap is a milky latex, so give your tools a quick wipe once the cutting is done.
Repotting
A potted plant appreciates a fresh container every 2 to 3 years, or a little sooner if roots begin to circle the base, water rushes straight through, or growth and flowering start to slow.
Size & spacing
Depending on whether you train it upward or let it sprawl, star jasmine runs from 3 to 20 feet (91 cm to 6 m) and spreads 3 to 6 feet (91 to 183 cm) wide. Give it a little room and a sturdy support, and it will reward you.
When to plant
Star jasmine loves warmth and feels most at home in zones 8 to 10. Set young plants out in spring once frost has passed, and you can look forward to the biggest wave of fragrant flowers from late spring into early summer, with a few more blooms drifting in through the warmer months.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: spring, after danger of frost has passed
- Harvest: late spring to early summer, with sporadic bloom into summer
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 8–10
Temperature: down to -12°C
Troubleshooting
Star jasmine rarely gives you much trouble, so the odd hiccup is easy to read and easy to mend. Most issues come down to soil chemistry, a small sap-sucking insect, or not quite enough light. Find your plant's symptom below and act early, and it will bounce right back.
Sticky leaves with a black film and little bumps on the stems
Those little bumps are scale insects or mealybugs, and the black film is sooty mold feeding on the sticky honeydew they leave behind. Wipe the stems clean with water and a touch of mild soap, then treat with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. Snip away any stem that is badly overrun and the plant recovers nicely.
Fix:
- Wash off honeydew and sooty mold with water and mild soap
- Treat infestations with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap
- Prune out heavily infested stems
Yellow leaves while the veins stay green
When leaves pale but their veins hold their green, you are looking at chlorosis, usually a shortage of iron that turns up as the soil goes alkaline. Feed a chelated iron supplement or work in an acidifier, then mulch with leaf mold to keep the ground gentle and sweet. Take a quick look at drainage too, since soggy roots can send the very same signal.
Fix:
- Apply a chelated iron supplement or soil acidifier
- Improve drainage and avoid overwatering
- Mulch with organic matter such as leaf mold
Thin, leggy stems and hardly any flowers
A star jasmine sitting in too much shade grows plenty of stem but offers few flowers. Move a container to a brighter spot, or thin the canopy overhead to let more light reach it. Full sun is what coaxes out the heaviest flush of fragrant bloom.
Fix:
- Move container plants or relocate to a sunnier spot
- Thin overhead shade where possible
Toxicity
Here is good news for anyone with curious pets or little ones underfoot: star jasmine is not toxic. The ASPCA lists it as safe for cats, dogs, and horses, and no harmful compounds are reported for other animals. The one small thing to know is the milky sap that beads from cut stems, which can leave sensitive skin a bit itchy, so give your hands a rinse after pruning.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats None
A curious cat can chew a leaf or two with no harm done. The ASPCA lists star jasmine as non-toxic to cats.
Dogs None
Dogs are safe around it, since no toxic compounds are reported. A pup that gnaws a trailing stem should come to no harm.
Horses None
It is listed as non-toxic to horses, so a plant along a fence line or pasture edge is no grazing worry.
Rabbits Safe
Nothing toxic is reported for rabbits, and the bitter milky sap tends to discourage most from taking a second bite.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep can graze nearby with no trouble, as the plant holds no known toxic principle.
Birds Safe
Birds in the backyard or an aviary face no danger from the leaves or the flowers.
People Safe
Growing and handling it is safe, though the milky sap can leave sensitive skin a touch itchy, so rinse your hands once the pruning is done.
Stems exude a milky latex sap when cut, which may cause mild skin irritation in sensitive people; wash hands and clean tools after pruning.
Varieties
A handful of named selections and one close cousin turn up at nurseries, and each gives you a good reason to plant it.
'Madison'
A hardier selection that shrugs off more cold than the species, so it can carry star jasmine into cooler gardens.
'Variegatum'
Grown mostly for its foliage, since each leaf carries a creamy-white edge that lifts a shaded wall or fence.
Asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum)
A close cousin whose leaves run smaller and darker and whose tiny flowers are yellowish-white, spreading fast and tough enough to carpet the ground.
How to propagate
Making more star jasmine is genuinely easy, and because its stems love to twine and trail, two simple methods work beautifully with no special gear.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Late spring to summer · Several weeks to a few months to root
Cuttings are the everyday route to more star jasmine. Take semi-ripe stem cuttings in late spring or summer, and over several weeks to a few months they root into fresh plants that match the parent exactly.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · One season to root before separating
Layering makes the most of the way these stems already trail and twine. Pin a low stem down onto the soil in spring or summer, let it root for a full season, then cut it free from the parent to grow on its own.
Myths
Star jasmine is a true jasmine.
The name and that sweet perfume fool almost everyone, and yet this is not a real jasmine at all. It sits in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) as Trachelospermum jasminoides, quite separate from the genus Jasminum that gives us true jasmine.