Star Jasmine is one of my “go to” vines for Southern California and especially for Santa Clarita. It is a fast growing vine that can cover 25 feet, so a little goes a long way! It is also happy to bloom in sun, partial sun, and even shade in our hot valleys. So, it is eminently usable under many conditions and it will help you create unity because you can utilize it in different sun exposures in your yard. Star Jasmine is also a nice shrub; great in a pot and a useful ground cover if you don’t mind it’s height.
Star Jasmine is very easy to work with, because it has nice side shoots so you can make it go exactly where you want it. This vine has no tendrils but will twist around pretty much anything that it touches – I like to use it on a trellis or wire up a wall and let it go!
Oh, about letting it “go” I don’t mean ignore it – I mean it can grow far and cover an ugly wall pretty quickly however like most vines it requires maintenance! Please don’t go planting one and ignore it for a couple of years…you need to pay attention to it and make sure that you trim it when it starts getting unruly (and believe me it will). Ignoring it will mean that when you do finally trim it back you see nothing but ugly sticks.
Make sure that you plant it with enough room between itself and other plants so that you won’t be untangling it from the plants in front of it. I like to treat vines like wall paper or paint on a wall – it’s nice to put stuff in front of it but you don’t want to be so close that the two types of plants merge and become one.
Star Jamine is very fragrant, blooms in spring and summer and is much more tolerant to cold and heat than say night blooming Jasmine or Jamine Sambac. It wants consistent moisture, so proper irrigation is a must, and good soil, so don’t skimp on the compost when you plant it and if you keep up on mulching it will be very happy on both counts. It has been known to survive after a freeze (three years ago we got below 23 off and on for three days) but like other plants if it shows sign of frozen leaves, don’t prune it! Wait, wait, wait until it really warms up (April). Speaking of pruning, it is always good to prune your vine after it has bloomed, this will encourage growth of the vine. You can deadhead as needed too, and make sure that on a regular basis you get out there and make sure that your vine is following directions and covering what you want covered and nothing else.
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