The Star of the Show: Star Jasmine Vines

The Star of Any Outdoor Space!

Star Jasmine Vines seem to be just about everywhere, or at least that's how I feel living in the Southeast portion of the United States. Restaurant patios envelope their patrons with the lovely plant. Homeowners create a modicum of privacy with the climbing vines. Even Disney World uses the Star Jasmine as a ground covering throughout the park. They're skilled climbers, almost to a fault. Once they get growing, it's hard to tame these determined plants!

Though I've not yet attempted to use Star Jasmine as a ground covering, I'm planning on beginning that adventure this evening. They're fairly easy to propagate, with just a small portion of a hardwood piece of the stem needed. Avoid a portion of the vine that has large leaves, and if unavoidable then cutting back larger leaves won't cause any issue. Place the portion of vine into a mix of soil and peat moss in a small pot, and water regularly. A sunny spot in your home will guarantee the cuttings will take root. Once roots have formed and you notice the cuttings have doubled in size, you can relocate the new vine to a permanent outdoor home, or leave it in your house for some indoor decor!

My Star Jasmine journey... and at this point, love affair, began at the end of Summer, 2017. I planted two twelve-inch vines at the bottom of my backyard's pergola. They grew fairly quickly, and by the following Summer had already made their way to the pergola's roof! The last few Summers have been a tricky game of training the vines where to go, using twine to direct the rampant vines and attach them to different portions of the pergola's roof. The first couple Summers I would water the vines once or twice a week (depending on how much rain we'd received), but now almost never water them. They seem to do just fine adapting to whatever water is provided from the occasional rain, and bloom for a few weeks every Spring.

The flowers of the Star Jasmine are definitely unique. They smell like root beer to me, although I know some folks think I'm crazy when I say that. Whatever you think they smell like, they smell great! Skip ahead to nearly five years later, and the vines have completely taken over the back porch!

I absolutely love the Star Jasmine's resiliency and growth potential. They're my favorite outdoor plant that I have. I'm dreading the day that I move to a new house, as I will absolutely be untangling the vines from every two-by-four and packing them up to take with me! 

Light

These sun-loving plants do best in full sun. Though they seem to do alright in semi-shaded areas, the vines will climb and climb until they find the sunniest place possible. (That's why in the photo of mine that I shared, they seem to be somewhat bare on the pillars... they climbed to the sunny spot and then flourished).

Soil

Any soil will do, and fertilization isn't required. The Star Jasmine seem to prosper regardless of feeding.

Climate

Warmer environments are best for the Star Jasmine. They certainly survive cold winters, and can sustain temperatures down to the lower double digits. If they remain in a single digit temperature for a sustained period of time, they'll start dying down to their root, but should come back once conditions improve.

Water

The first year of growing Star Jasmine is when you should really focus on consistently watering the plant. This is the period that the roots are really taking shape underneath the ground, and need water to grow stronger. As the plant grows above ground, weekly watering is recommended. They are drought-resistant, and can manage for periods of time without watering.

Closing Notes

These vines really are so much fun. You start to form a relationship with them: cutting them back, taming them with twines, and training them to go where you want. It's also fun to have something that grows so quickly (after the initial first year, that is)!

Though we don't sell Star Jasmine Vines, we do have some fun indoor vining plant available at The Plant Dads! Check out some of our vining plants!

January 2023 Update

Since writing this blog post, I've moved to another state. Unfortunately, I was unable to take my beloved Star Vines with me. I can only hope that the new owners of my previous house get as much enjoyment out of those vines as I did, and continue to let them prosper and grow!