HOW TO GROW STAR JASMINE WITH ANNE
“They grow profusely and are deliciously fragrant”
There is everything to like about star jasmine (trachelospermum). For a start, naturally twining plants are useful for adding height and these are evergreen and bloom from mid to late-summer.
What’s more, pretty creamy-white flowers shaped like toy windmills are both profuse and deliciously fragrant. That’s a lot of boxes ticked by one plant type but these climbers are quite fussy about their requirements.
Instead of rushing out to buy the first one you see and planting it where you want, it pays to do some homework. A happy trachelospermum will climb to 20ft (6m) or more, making a wall of glossy leaves to offset the scented blooms and last for many years.
Despite common names (star and confederate jasmine), trachelospermum is not related to jasmine but belongs to Apocynaceae, the same plant family as vinca and hoya. There are around 20 species, native mainly to China, Korea and Japan and they are woodland twiners used to sheltered habitats. here in the UK we stick to two species and their cultivars.
Mature plants
T. jasminoides is arguably the more elegant of the two but is also rather tender and I’ve lost a couple of plants to chilly winters outdoors.
Depending on shelter, mature plants are only reliably hardy to somewhere between -5oC (23oF) and -10oC (14oF) and in colder regions are considered to be a conservatory plant. T. asiaticum is the hardier option.
A happy star jasmine will make a large and vigorous climber. Should you need to curb this enthusiasm, prune back and thin out older stems either immediately after flowering, or trim it in spring.
Wear gloves and cover arms for the job, as stems exude a white, milky sap turning sticky as it dries. This can sometimes irritate sensitive skin, although I am unaffected by it.