Chinese star-jessamine

Year-round

Chinese star-jessamine (also sold as Confederate jasmine) is an evergreen twining vine native to Japan, China, and Vietnam, so it is an introduced plant here rather than a native one. It grows roughly 3 to 20 feet depending on support and blooms in late spring with very fragrant creamy white flowers that bees visit. It is hardy in zones 8a through 10b, which covers Houston.

• Give it full sun to part shade and well-drained, fertile soil.
• Keep it evenly moist while it establishes. Once established it becomes fairly drought resistant.
• Give it a trellis, fence, or wall to climb, or let it spread as a ground cover.
• Prune after flowering to keep it in bounds. The sap is sticky and milky, so clean your tools afterward.

Trained on a trellis or fence, it stays neat and evergreen. Regular pruning after bloom keeps it tidy.

Fall

Fall is a good time to plant and to tidy the vine before winter.

• Fall planting gives roots cool months to establish.
• Check that stems are attached to their support.
• Watch for chewing insects such as Japanese beetles on the foliage.

Winter

Star-jessamine stays evergreen through winter, and its leaves can take on a bronze-red tint in the cold.

• Bronze-red leaves in cold weather are normal.
• Water lightly during dry spells.
• Hold off on heavy pruning until after the next bloom.

Spring

Spring is bloom time for star-jessamine, with fragrant creamy white flowers opening in late spring.

• Enjoy the bloom and the bees it draws.
• Plant new vines now so roots settle before summer heat.
• Wait to prune until flowering finishes.

Summer

Established vines handle summer better than new ones, and flowers may continue sporadically.

• Water new plantings regularly during heat.
• Established vines become fairly drought resistant, so water deeply but less often.
• Prune after bloom to control length and keep the vine within its space.