Asiatic Jasmine Care & Feeding

Although Asiatic jasmine's (Trachelospermum asiaticum) flowers are small, they make up for their diminutive size with their spicy fragrance. But the perfume is just an added bonus -- this durable ground cover is remarkably resilient and it prospers even under less-than-stellar growing conditions. Providing ongoing care for Asiatic jasmine typically means you only have to tweak a few things to keep it healthy.

Asiatic jasmine -- a perennial in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7b through 10 -- has many other common names, including Asian star jasmine, yellow star jasmine and dwarf Confederate jasmine. Even though "jasmine" is part of each of its common names, this plant is not a true jasmine. It's simply given this common name because its fragrant, star-shaped flowers resemble those of common jasmine (Jasminum officinale), a perennial in USDA zones 7 through 10.

As a drought-tolerant plant, Asiatic jasmine grows with little water. Because it's a ground cover, the leaves naturally form a living mulch that conserves soil moisture. Rainfall is typically all the water the plant needs in wet climates, so you won't need to water established plants unless there's a drought. If it hasn't rained, or you live in a dry climate, water established plants once a month, with 1 inch of water.

A rule of thumb is to water Asiatic jasmine when the top 3 inches of soil are dry.

Established plants need minimal fertilizer. Broadcast a 21-0-0 granular fertilizer once a year at the rate of 1/2 pound per 100 square feet. Water the area well after using the fertilizer and make sure you rinse any granules off the leaves.

Apply fertilizer in early spring when the leaf buds begin to open.

If you need to cut Asiatic jasmine back to keep it in bounds, mow or prune it when it begins growing in spring. Because this is a vining plant, you'll need to cut it back if it's planted near a sidewalk, driveway or patio so the long stems don't scramble across these areas.

Disinfect pruning tools by soaking the blades for five minutes in a solution of 1 part household pine-oil cleaner and 3 parts water. Rinse the tools with water or let them air-dry before using them.

Asiatic jasmine is remarkably pest- and disease-free. Leaf spots, caused by Cercospora spp. fungal pathogens, may affect the plant, but typically not enough that you need to do anything.

By the time Asiatic jasmine is established as a ground cover, it suppresses most weeds. If weeds are a problem, either pull them by hand or spray a ready-to-use weedkiller containing glyphosate on the weeds that grow in and around Asiatic jasmine.

Only spray glyphosate to control the weeds when Asiatic jasmine is not actively growing because the chemical will also kill Asiatic jasmine.

If you want to kill unwanted Asiatic jasmine, spray it with glyphosate when it is actively growing.

Wear gloves and eye protection when spraying chemicals and don't spray on windy days.