Star Jasmine Time Machine

I’d like to introduce you to one of my favorite plants—star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides), a fast-growing woody vine with evergreen leaves and, now, in late spring, loads of small, white, pinwheel-shaped flowers. Star jasmine is lovely to look at, but the real reason you’ll want to grow it is its intoxicating perfume, which is rich and, well, positively delicious, with its hint of vanilla.

The fragrance is so nostalgic for me. When I was a kid, star jasmine grew along the rail of our back porch and scented the whole backyard. It was heavenly. My Barbie doll had a glamorous white fake-fur stole, and I thought that the blooming jasmine, glowing pale in the twilight, looked like a giant version of the stole as it cloaked the porch rail.

The star jasmine bloomed in May, and its fragrance was like a sort of soundtrack (or scent track) that accompanied the magical, exciting days at the end of the school year. Its special smell was in the air as the pace of life slowed down, so pleasantly, for the summer, as the rules loosened up, as the weight of homework began to lift and my sister Kris and I had more time to play after school. Fresh from our baths, we’d venture out into the warm twilight in our nightgowns.

I don’t know why I loved playing outside in my nightgown so much, but I did. Maybe it was because my nightgown was prettier than my usual clothes and I could pretend it was a fairy’s dress. Kris and I would run and “fly” in our nightgowns. We’d chase fireflies, sip honeysuckle nectar, and jump with the little red-striped froghoppers that dwelled in the grass. And all around us was the haunting, bewitching scent of star jasmine.

I planted star jasmine in my current yard because its fragrance never fails to take me back to the happiest days of my childhood, when summer vacation was just around the corner. I also planted it in hopes that it would enchant my little niece as it had enchanted me. I wanted it to be a part of her childhood too.

Near the front steps of the house, my star jasmine grows on an arch at the head of a stone path. A twining vine, it was easy to train on the arch. It climbed right up. I snip at it once or twice a year to keep it from veering off the arch and into the trees. It’s fast growing but (luckily) not too aggressive.

Aside from the occasional pruning, my star jasmine requires nothing from me. It doesn’t seem to be bothered by pests or diseases, and I never water or fertilize it. This carefree plant is happy in sun or shade and in all kinds of soils. Though it’s native to southern China and Japan, it’s quite at home in Florida. It doesn’t like the cold though, and is only hardy to Zone 8 on the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

If it will grow in your area, I think you should plant star jasmine for your children or grandchildren (or any young people you love). It’s sure to delight them and linger long in their memories.