Confederate Jasmine
Confederate Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) also known as Star Jasmine is not a true jasmine but referred to as one because of the fragrant jasmine-like flowers it produces. It is hardy in zones 8-10 and ubiquitous in the southern states. Cultivar Madison is hardy up to zone 7.
The twining foliage emerges with light green lance-shaped leaves and then matures to a glossy, dark green color which produces clusters of white star-shaped flowers in late spring to summer. Once established, this fast growing evergreen vine, which can grow up to 20 feet, can be trained to climb supports such as fences, pergolas, pillar and trees. With tip pinching and trimming, it can also be grown as a spreading shrub or a weed choking groundcover. Its tight growing habit also makes it an ideal candidate for topiaries, trailing containers and hanging baskets.
Confederate jasmine prefers fertile well-drained soil with full sun to part shade exposure. Fertilize from early spring to fall with a well balanced (NPK) fertilizer for acid loving plants.
Pruning is important to control excessive growth and thicken the foliage. Prune straggly and tangled vine grown indoors in the fall/winter when growth has stopped and/or after blooming to promote lateral branching. Because C. jasmine blooms on last year’s growth, the best time to prune outdoor plants is after blooming (April-May). Prune away dead, weak, cold damaged shoots in late winter after danger of frost is over. Prune back no more than 1/3 of the vine at a time.
The semi-hardwood cuttings dipped in rooting hormone can be propagated in the spring/summer to produce additional plants. Cuttings exude a white milky sap which can be a skin irritant.
Indoor culture
Trachelospermum jasminoides tolerates a minimum temperature of 40 degrees and therefore in colder climates needs to be grown in a container and brought indoors for the winter. As a houseplant, they can adapt to moderate light exposure as well as neglectful watering but grow best in bright indirect light in the summer and need a minimum of 4 hours of direct sunlight in the winter. Night temperatures of 50-55 and 68-72 during the day are preferred. In the winter provide added humidity but water less.
Another cultivar, Trachelospermum asiaticum cv mandianum, Asiatic Jasmine is also a popular container plant. It has smaller, oval leaves and sweeter yellowish white flowers with a longer blooming time which can start(depending on temperatures) early to mid-winter to the summer.
Ref. Clemson.edu & Logee’s Container Plants
Hi, my potted jasmine got too hot here in Southern Ca.. I cleaned out the yellow leaves but notice the leaves feel sticky and look dirty. Is there a safe way to hand wash the leaves?
HI Jamie
The sticky substance may be honeydew which is secreted by insects such as scale. The black “dirty” surface is caused by sooty mold a fungus which grows on the honeydew. Sooty mold reduces sunlight to the leaves blocking chlorophyll production. The leaves can be cleaned with a wet paper towel but sooty mold is more difficult to remove.
Check the underside of the leaves and stems. If you find bumps on the surface, then you may have scale and need to treat the plant for scale.
Cold damage on Confederate Jasmine
My con. Jasmine is trailing on iron on front porch . I live in north Alabama and we have had some freezing temps lately. It has looked very green and healthy until this past week . Now leaves are turning brown and some are dry. Do you think it will completely die and what can I do. Hhould it be trimmed ? The two plants are approximately four years old???
I have a Confederate Jasmine (so the label said) at a Walmart Garden shop. I brought it home and planted in a large container with a trellis, and put it on the patio. I live in St. Augustine. The plant flowered beautifully in the spring and then grew like crazy. I just trimmed the plant (its now October) by 1/3 and brought it inside. It still is growing – sending out vine growth, and appears to be doing well. The problem, all the pictures I have seen of Confederate have dark green leaves. Mine are a variegated mix of green and yellow on each leave. I thought there might be something wrong with the plant, but it seems to be happy growing out new vine shoots, but not a much as it did in the summer. The plant looks healthy, the blooms were white and very fragrant – it this really a Confederate Jasmine?
I have a Confederacy Jasmine that I just bought up from the basement after the winter (I live in Chicago). Do I need to prune it? What else should I do?
Thanks for the help!!
Jee
Prune Confederate jasmine
Hi Jee,
Agreed. Don’t prune it! Put it in a warm, sunny part of your house where it gets lots of light, fertilize now with Miracle Gro and water once a week. It should start blooming in May for about two weeks.
Don’t prune until the fall when it’s time to put it back in the basement.
Winterover confederate jasmine
i live in rockland county ny, what can i do with my jasmine plant(confederate jasmine) for the winter? i have already lost 2 plants covering them outdoors, not in plastic.
thank you
I have read all your jasmine questions and comments, but don’t see any reference to my particular problem: two large potted and trellised jasmine (one Confederate, other unknown, both about 5 years old) in a small/mostly enclosed inner patio in high desert heat and low humidity, with solar cloth which lets filtered sun through, but cuts back 85% UV, fan running over water (“swamp cooler”) during high heat. Water every other day. Both plants dropping leaves after the leaves CRISP! They’re still green,not yellow or brown, but absolutely dried out. New growth, but that also crisps. The Confederate also has small, hard white bumps on the stalks and leaf veins (tried treating with fungicide – no response..one of your posts said this indicates a fungus WITHIN the stalks, but did not mention remedies.) Have checked for mites, scale, other creatures, but found none. The unknown jasmine doesn’t have spots, just loses its crispy green leaves. Both plants merely survive, not thrive, with few blossoms which last only a dayor two… Help, please! Thank you, Jan
Hi my jasmine also has the small white bumps all over. For the life of me I cannot figure it out. It is doing really well besides that, so I would like to salvage it if possible. Did you ever figure that out?
I live in Las Vegas and am moving next month in March. I was curious to see if you had any tips on transplanting my outdoor jasmine plant that is entwined in a couple large trellises. Should I try to carefully untangle it or move everything together?
Mildly Toxic?
I have read conflicting information that Confederate jasmine is toxic/poisonous. We plan to plant this close to our vegetable garden against a fence to provide privacy to our backyard. Please advise.
Help my ( confederate Jasmine) are healthy one day.. The next day yellow/brown spots dropping fast!!
We live in northern NY growing zone 4. I have a large star jasmin, still flowering beautyful. Question , when I bring it in how far and how much can I prune it. It is big.
Best time to prune
We live in northern Miss. Our jasmine is 5 yrs old and prolific. To the point, I am cutting back some areas of it about 12 inches each month- it is over 7 feet tall on trellis. Since it blooms from May to Sept. or later, when can I cut back 1/3 like you recommend?
When I bought my Jasmine, the label said Confederate Jasmine. Everything that I’ve been reading on Confederates, they have small star shaped blooms. Well, mine have a large pink flower. Beside that, I am now having a problem with yellowing leaves. The plant seems to grow new foliage as quickly as the leaves turn yellow and fall off.
I live in S. Florida. My plant is potted, well drained, gets morning shade and full afternoon sun. I try not to over water and I’ve fertilized with a general fertilizer. I hope you can help me with my yellowing leaf problem.
Hi Mary
Yellow leaves can indicate several problems- either too wet or too dry soil or nutrient issues. Insects can also be the case. so check the plant closely.
I live in central Florida and have confederate jasmine planted around the bottom of my magnolia trees. It has been growing for about 10 years, and has only flowered once. Can you tell me what could be the problem? It is otherwise very healthy and gets some sun during the daylight hours.
Thank you very much.
Hi Cheryl
Your confederate jasmine may not be getting enough sun to bloom. Do you fertilize it?
Yellow/brown leaf drop
I have a jasmine I bought last summer and put in a patio pt. It bloomed well last summer (in Seattle). It weathered in the winter outside under a protected area just fine. It has tons of new growth and buds about to open, but for the last month, it has dropped leaves, yellow to brown on the old wood. The new leaves are kind of mottled now and I was thinking they’re going to drop too. What to do? There are tons of buds. We had a very, very late summer. Just now getting into the low 70′s. I don’t see any kind of bug or rust or anything. Is it something in the soil? Help.
Can I grow this jasmine in DC? I want a lot of smells in my yard and need suggestions of what type of plants will grow.
Jennifer
Fragrant shrub
I was born & raised in Los Angeles. The Star Jasmine has always been my favorite plant of choice. Now I live in PA, zone 5/6 (depending whose chart I plug my zip code into.)I miss the fragrant easy to please star jasmine. Do you know of any plant with a similar fragrance that can hardy-out in zone 5-6? Vine or shrub is ok…but nothing that has to be brought indoors over the cold snow& icy PA winters.
Thanks
Transplanting jasmine
I live in North Carolina and we have 6 full Star jasmine plants in the lattice around our pool that have grown very thick over the last two years.
Our pool deck has to be completely re-done due to damage and the fence has to come down. I hate the idea of losing the jasmine. It is June now (aka HOT) – is there a way to transplant them somewhere else? If yes, how – for best chance of survival? Please help!
Thanks!!!
Bloom time
I’m in southern fl. I just purchased two 1 gal containers of Star Jasmine and planted it in a large pot with a wire trellis… There are no blooms on it at present. Is it too late or can I expect blooms and fragrance this year.?
We were thinking of getting a confederate jasmine for our yard here in the Norman, Oklahoma area. Is it a perennial? Are we in a good zone for maintaining this plant?
Hardiness
Ok I live in Southeastern Illinois zone 6 and I am wondering if I need to repot and bring Jasmine plant inside for the winter or can I winterize it and it still live . I love this plant and dont want to lose it !!