How to grow Star Jasmine

Trachelospermum jasminoides

It can be grown against a wall in milder climates or in a greenhouse or conservatory in areas prone to severe frosts.


Grow in well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade with protection from cold, drying winds. If growing indoors, plant in loam-based potting compost in full light but not direct sun.


Water freely and apply a balanced liquid fertiliser monthly during the growing season, and water sparingly in winter.


It tolerates a minimum temperature of 4°C (40 degrees F) and therefore in colder climates needs to be grown in a container and brought indoors for the winter. As a house-plant, 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 10-13°C (50-55 F) and 20-22°C (68-72 F) during the day are preferred. In the winter provide added humidity but water less often.

Keep pruning to a minimum, as it flowers on last year’s wood. Train outward growing shoots into the support, trimming back to a flowering spur if the plant overgrows its space

It may be easier to propagate from cutting and be quicker into flower than from seed. Take internodal or nodal cutting of wood that is between fresh and semi ripe in summer or autumn and strike into a mixture of compost and vermiculite or grit. Cover in a plastic bag and arrange it to prevent the bag resting on the cuttings. Bottom heat up to 20C will speed things along.
An alternative method involves pinning down a suitable side branch into soil adjacent to the parent plant in the summer. Twist the side shoot at the point where it will be buried to wound the bark. Pin it down and cover the wounded part, leaving the growing tip out of the ground. Stake this part to keep it steady. Water the ground regularly and the following spring the new plant can be cut free and potted up. Keep growing undercover for the next year before planting out when the root system has more fully developed

Growing Star jasmine from seed

Sow the seed in a greenhouse in early spring. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 6 – 8cm with a heel. Ensure that the sap has dried out before the cutting is inserted in the soil. The semi-hardwood cuttings dipped in rooting hormone can be propagated in the spring/summer to produce additional plants. The white milky sap can be a skin irritant.

Layering in summer. The plant self-layers, sending out roots from leaf nodes and stem tips wherever they touch the ground.

Transplanting Star jasmine

The plant does well in light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, and it is fine in acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.


It is hardy in zones 8-10 and ubiquitous in the southern US states. Cultivar Madison is hardy up to zone 7.

Star jasmine is half hardy, so ensure you wait until all danger of frost has passed in your area before considering planting outside - as a guideline, the minimum temperature outside should be approximately 4°C / 39°F.

Harvesting Star jasmine

Wonderfully fragrant cut flower

How long does Star jasmine take to grow?

These estimates for how long Star jasmine takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Star jasmine to germinate?
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Average days | Min days | Max days (0)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Star jasmine?
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Average days | Min days | Max days (0)

Days to Maturity How long until Star jasmine is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ 117 days

Average 117 days | Min 60 days | Max 1087 days (3)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Star jasmine?
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Star jasmine Etymology

It is not a true jasmine but referred to as one because of the fragrant jasmine-like flowers it produces.

Other names for Star jasmine

Star-jasmine, Confederate-jasmine, Luo shi

Rhynchospermum jasminoides

Misspellings: Trachelospermum jaminoides, Rhyncospermum jaminoides

Footnotes


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