Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
woodsworm

Confederate Jasmine & Carolina Jasmine/Jessamine

woodsworm
19 years ago

I have been reading about both Confederate Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) and Carolina Jasmine (Gelsemium sempervirens).

I still don't have answers to these 6 questions. I'll bet ya'll can straighten me out:

1. Are carolina jasmine blooms always yellow and confederate jasmine always white?

2. Is confederate jasmine less cold-hardy than carolina jasmine? What about confederate on a south wall with heavy mulching where winter temp can drops to zero?

3. Are they comparable as climbers?

4. Somewhere I got the impression that confederate jasmine would climb a bare brick wall. Can this be true?

5. What kind of Carolina jasmine is fragrant? I just bought some blooming and it's not.

6. I have read here that Confederate jasmine smells like privet; does everyone agree? I love smelly flowers but privet is too much for me.

Also-- is either invasive in southern piedmont? I'm in north central NC.

Thank you. I love Southern Gardening Forum.

Comments (31)

  • wilmington_islander
    19 years ago

    Carolina Jessamine is much hardier than Confederate jasmine...the south side of your wall is the best bet for you, but is isn't really hardy to your area. Confederate has an intoxicating scent..but not overpowering. There are also strains of fragrant Carolina Jessamine..but I don't know where to get them. As to color, Confederate alos comes in pink flowers but Carolina is always yellow. Carolina Jessamine is also more rambucntious as a climber and can be invasive but not overly so. And yes, Confederate can climb a bare brick wall!

  • LoraxDave
    19 years ago

    You may want to try the 'Madison' variety of Confederate Jasmine - it is supposed to be hardier into warmer sections of Zone 7.

    As far as invasiveness - are you worried about planting a non-native plant that will invade nearby woodlands, or are you worried about a pest for your garden with lots of seedlings?? Carolina Jasmine is native to the Southern Piedmont, so don't worry about it invading the woods. It's probably already there. Look for it up in the trees along the woods' edges in March/April -- it's essentially invisible except that time of the year when it creates splashes of yellow winding through the upper parts of the trees. As far as in the garden - you will probably get some volunteers, but they are very easy to pull up if you don't want them. Or pot them up and give them to others or sell them on eBay!

    I doubt Confederate Jasmine would cause any inasiveness problems in your area due to marginal hardiness. In fact, I haven't even heard about it being invasive in warmer areas where it is widely planted.

  • envirocop
    19 years ago

    My confederate jasmine thrives in two protected southern exposures.

  • PRO
    Nell Jean
    19 years ago

    I grew Confederate Jasmine just south of Atlanta in a western exposure. It twines to climb, so needs a little bit of trellis support on a brick wall to stay in place. It will die back when temps approach zero, but survives.

    It smells better than privet, but is a heady fragrance best enjoyed from a bit of distance.

    Here, the two, Jasmine and jessamine, are equally sturdy climbers. I don't plant jessamine -- it grows wild in the woods and will climb to the tops of the tallest trees. Along the highway, you can see it like yellow swags through the trees. My understanding is that yellow jessamine is poisonous.

    Confederate jasmine makes a super ground cover and can be kept mowed to contain the edges.

    Nell

  • woodsworm
    Original Author
    19 years ago

    Thanks to all; good info.

  • roseyp8255
    19 years ago

    I want to know how to root confederate jasmine - any suggestions on the best way? My neighbor has a GORGEOUS arbor - and wants to cut it back - i was going to try to root it. Thanks!

  • sandyhill
    19 years ago

    Pretty easy, best done in the spring - standard rooting method from semi-hardwood cuttings with hormone dip, but I've done ok just sticking bits in a cup of water too. I use a peat / sand / perlite mix for planting. Take care when you handle it, as some folks get a rash from the sap.

    Layering also works well. Like many vines it wants to root where it finds soil.

  • jeff_al
    19 years ago

    my confederate jasmine makes a few seeds. you might look for those before they prune it. the pods are long and thin, somewhat bean-like or like a mini-catalpa pod. the seeds themselves are like giant dandelion seeds, with the little parachute at the top.

  • roseyp8255
    19 years ago

    Thanks for the tips - i will try all!

  • croakie_SC
    19 years ago

    I have Carolina jessamine 'Pride of Augusta' which is a double flowered variety and it is fragrant. I've only had a few flowers on it so far so I don't know how fragrant a vine full of them will be, but the individual flowers smelled very nice.

  • reneeness
    18 years ago

    As a pot plant, grown of doors in New York, can I keep my Confederate Jasmine blooming through the Summer? I've been reading that it is a Spring bloomer in the South when grown in the ground. I just purchased two 3FT topiaries in 5 gallon containers and they are covered with blooms. Of course I plan on keeping them in their containers and bringing them in during the Winter. My biggest concern is keeping the blooms coming.

  • K
    18 years ago

    There is also the yellow star jasmine, Trachelospermum asiaticum (confederate jasmine = T. jasminoides). It is hardier than confederate, but also a slower grower.

    Here is a link that might be useful: yellow star jasmine

  • Dieter2NC
    18 years ago

    If you get 'Carolina jessimine' I would suggest you look for swamp Jessimine, which blooms in spring and fall (two blooms for the price of one). I have Madison Jasimine (sometimes called Star Jasimine) on a eastern exposed wall and the leaves turn a pretty shade of burgandy in the winter. I think it smells kinda like pumpkin pie imho.

  • EngiN117
    18 years ago

    so, can Jasmine handle sun. I thought to put a confederate Jasmine at my mailbox, but it gets sun most of the day and I wanted to make sure I will not kill it. Also, do I have to bring it inside, or will it last through out the winter on its own outside? This is my first Jasmine, so I do not really know.
    Thanks,
    Engi

  • K
    18 years ago

    EngiN, I am in zone 7a-b, Greensboro, NC. My confederate jasmine is on a fence in full sun and does fine. In the winter, the leaves turn burgundy and do not completely fall off. It's on its third year.
    K.

  • Claire Pickett
    18 years ago

    I'm a Yankee who is successfully growing Confederate Jessamine on a column of my back porch. It has been provided with vinyl hardware cloth to hold on. It's in its 3rd year, but I'm told it can be tender in our zone 7a. The scent is just nice, not overwhelming.

  • Hyperboy
    18 years ago

    I live in Atlanta and have seven Confederate Madison Jasmines. Yestersay, I was SHOCKED to see that three of these plants have produced pairs of long, thin, pale green seed pods.
    Even though it would be far easier to buy more plants at the nursery, I'd love to try and grow new plants from the seeds in these pods. Does anyone know when these pods are ready to be picked, and when the seeds should be planted?
    Hyperboy

  • woodsworm
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Thanks for all the comments. Like Hyperboy, I want details on propagating Confederate Jasimine from seed. Last December, my brother in West Georgia gave me some pods like Hyperboy described. I (shallowly) planted some of the seed where I wanted them to grow, trying to duplicate nature. I kept the others cold until early spring and planted them. Nothing happened either place. I know the seed were fresh, because I saw the pod on the vine. It was already open and starting to scatter.

    I'd love to try again, but I'm clueless about what to do. Thanks.

    (BTW, I bought Carolina Jasmine plants and they're growing gangbusters).

    I do want some of that sweet white Confederate, though. I don't know what variety my brother's seed were, and of course they were in a bit warmer zone than my 7a.

  • meemo1929
    18 years ago

    Several years ago I planted two Carolina Jasmine beside patio posts which supported the vinyl roof. The trained vines are currently covering the underside of the roof rafters. A few days ago replaced the leaky roof with a solid one. . knowing that no direct sun will reach these vines,am wondering if they will live, or if I should immediately remove them from their supports, leaving only the outside attached to rafter and hanging to patio level.
    They would then receive afternoon sun.

  • shadyside
    17 years ago

    I live in Maryland and have had a Confederate Jasmine for 6 years--it comes back every year--very vigorously--but has NEVER BLOOMED!! Anybody have an idea what I may be doing wrong?

  • woody_ga
    17 years ago

    As far as germinating the Confed. J. seeds, you may want to check into the winter sowing forum. That group has a lot of experience between them.

  • treelover
    16 years ago

    shadyside: I've read that Confederate J. blooms on previous year's wood. If yours dies down to the ground each winter, that could be why you're not getting any flowers.

  • dsauma_bellsouth_net
    16 years ago

    I just purchased a few confederate Jasmines to cover a fence, I have tried to untangle it a bit from the small wooden trellis its all wrapped around and tried to get the loosened up vines and help then to tangle around the chain link fence
    How long you think I can see results Im in Miami so cold weather here is like in the 60's whenever it drops that low

    I have also done some reading and seen that they also come in Yellow and Pink is this true?
    if so where can I find them??
    Thanks

  • hocasati
    13 years ago

    My confederate jasmine is not blooming. What can I feed to make it flower? Please help.

  • DCrowno835_live_com
    13 years ago

    I have both kinds. The Confederate is so hardy that I've allowed it to completely cover a mock cherry tree (tree's dead, it's worth it...The Star (yellow) jasmine grows wild here.

    I also have the Confederate growing on 3 fences. This stuff MUST be pruned back (else it pulls the soffit off of the house.

    I just collected about 20 seeds from opened pods today, and am starting them in jiffy 7 peat pellets just for kicks.

    Since I have full FL sun, which can be brutal, I KNOW that Confederate and yellow both thrive in full sun, planted in sand ONLY with NO fertilization...ever.

    I'll let you know how the seed does!

  • captcactisc
    12 years ago

    Here in Columbia SC, Confederate Jasmine has escaped near my neighborhood and looks to be on the way to being quite invasive. Seems to have been spread along roadsides and now is smothering shrubs and small trees. I would not recommend planting it too far south where it can spread.

  • FMGardener_aol_com
    12 years ago

    My Confederate Jasmine has been getting some pale leaves. I've given the plant some ironite, which has greened up the overall plant nicely, but the pale leaves have not changed. Any ideas?

  • Minderella
    11 years ago

    I have confederate jasmine on my chain link fence and have never seen a seed pod. Do confederate jasmine not produce seed pods?

  • TripleJackInGA
    11 years ago

    Hi All -

    First posting here. I stumbled in here, after searching for info on ground cover that grows rapidly and vertically.
    I live in the Metro Atlanta area, specifically about 30 minutes SW of the airport in Newnan.
    Our lot slopes up from the street, and our back yard has always been nearly non-existent. It went back maybe 10-15 feet, was uneven, and full of rocks.
    I had someone come in and do some grading to get a fairly flat surface, and 15-20 feet from the back of the house, so we could actually use part of the back yard. One spot was used to put a cheap pool (You can see it's still filling in the pic).
    Grading is a lot cheaper than building retaining walls, so that's not in my plan, at least not for a year or two. What I want to do is find something that I can plant at the base of this vertical slope (the loose dirt will be removed), and have it grow up the slope vertically, and hopefully root into it as it grows, to aid in holding it in place. Ultimately, I'd like it to continue to the upper part which has always been weeds, and cover that, choking out the unattractive weeds, and making it more maintenance free.
    It sounds like Confederate Jasmine may be what I'm looking for.
    As you can see in the picture, I am surrounded by hard, compacted clay, and to make it more fun, it's probably the rockiest soil I've seen here, and I've been in this area most of my life.

    How long do you think it would take Confederate Jasmine to grow to the top of the bare area (maybe 7' at the corner peak)? This area is in full Sun from maybe 11AM till just about dusk each day.
    Would it grow straight up, or would it fan out and grow up and out at the same pace?
    Should I plant it just at the base? How far apart should I plant it, and how is Confederate Jasmine sold?

    Thanks in advance!

  • gigim
    10 years ago

    I know this last post is from last year but you might look into Homestead Verbena. It is a ground cover that has purple flowers. I planted it last spring and it went crazy covering my beds and blooming all summer and then again in the VERY early spring this year. Just be sure you look at the Homestead which is a perennial.

Sponsored
Kohlmark Flach Architects
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars8 Reviews
Kohlmark Flach Architects: Enriching Lives Through Purposeful Design