Jasmine - Confederate and Carolina

The different names for different types of jasmine has always confused me. After doing some research, I began to understand why I'm so confused.

There are over 200 varieties over the world - most originating in Latin America and Northern India. Needless to say, I won't cover all of them. But they fall into three categories: Hardy climbers, tender climbers, and shrubs.

It's hardy in the temperate climates, zones 6 through 10, of North America and can be used as an annual or a houseplant in the colder climates.

Confederate Jasmine Vine

As we all know, the Jasmine is known more for its heady aroma than anything else. Since I have only the Confederate Jasmine which is white and the Carolina Jasmine which is yellow these are the only two I'll discuss.

The Confederate Jasmine is an Asian Jasmine and it's also referred to as Star Jasmine. That's because the flowers are white and star-shaped. I have it planted on a trellis as you enter our driveway. 

Since I wanted a trellis about 12 feet wide and 4 feet tall, capable of standing up for decades, and wanted it curved shape, I had hubby build it. He used treated posts and lumber then I painted it with a dark green paint and stretched chicken wire over it. It

Confederate Jasmine Bloom

took three or four years for the Jasmine to cover the trellis . .but now it's completely covered. In the spring we're treated to one of the most magnificent aromas God has created. Notice the pink tinge in the flower and the white edges of the leaves . .absolutely beautiful!

One small bouquet of these babies will sweeten the air in your home for days! I use one bouquet downstairs and one upstairs. Usually, I'll get three cuttings before they start losing their marvelous aroma.

Pests and disease ignore this woody vine. The only care required is to water during droughts, fertilize periodically, and trim when it tries to get out of its bounds.

During my research on these vines I found a neat little nugget: It can also be used as a ground cover. Wherever a node touches the ground, a new plant roots. I've tried and tried to think of a place to use it as such. But just can't come up with an area to do this.

When I first got the Carolina Jasmine, I made the mistake of planting it under my dining room windows. Within two seasons it had completely taken over the area, choking my foundation plantings and covering my window screens.

Knowing I had to get it out from that area, I asked hubby to build me an arbor . .with a lot of moaning and groaning he built me one to my specifications. It had to be 8 feet wide, 8 feet high with a high arch, and 4 feet deep. Again he used treated lumber and posts and again I painted and planted.

To locate exactly where I wanted the arbor, I asked hubby to watch me, when I was unaware, for a week or so to determine where I mostly entered my garden.

When I transplanted the Carolina Jasmine, I pruned

it to about six inches
so of course it took three years to completely cover the arbor; meanwhile, I planted annual moon flowers while I waited for the Jasmine to do its thing.

I'm not as much in love with the Carolina as I am the Confederate. The Carolina is pretty and when it's in bloom, it's both eye-catching and breath-taking. Other than that, it's just a woody, green vine covering my arbor. But I love the evergreen feature.

It takes judicious pruning to keep it within it bounds and that's hard to do. A ladder is required to get to the top - and I don't like that AT ALL. Hubby only designs, builds, and digs holes . .other than that, I'm on my own and I don't like climbing ladders.

The Carolina is also free of pests and disease but birds love it. There are nests in there every spring and I love hearing the biddies chirp from the arbor - it sounds better than any windchime I've ever heard!