Star Jasmine
I want to tell you about a very special plant today.
It’s the star jasmine, which is one of the most useful of all plants. It has lush foliage and beautifully perfumed white flowers during Spring.
Sure, the star jasmine will grow as a climber up fences or lattice work. But did you know that it’s also a superb groundcover?
Star jasmine will cover the ground quite densely and flower for much of the year. It is very tolerant of sunny, dry positions as well. I have seen star jasmine as a ground cover where it is almost totally neglected, yet it looks wonderful.
There is a variegated-leafed variety that has purplish-white new growth as well.
The star jasmine is not a true jasmine, so it doesn’t go berserk and take over the whole garden. It is moderate & useful.
This evergreen climber has glossy, green leaves and vanilla-scented, star-shaped, white flowers. It grows with medium vigour but can be slow growing in the early years. Star jasmine flowers in sun or semi-shade, and grows in most areas of Australia. This versatile plant can be grown on a wire frame as a screen, trained over an arch or pergola, planted in containers or grown as a ground cover or standard. It should be pruned after flowering to remove spent flowers and keep growth under control.
Have a look for star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) when next you are at a plant shop. It is readily available all year round.