Trachelospermum Species, Asiatic Jasmine, Dwarf Confederate Jasmine, Japanese Star Jasmine

On Apr 20, 2015, h9kr4jg8ir5 from Spring, TX wrote:

This ugly, overused, ornamental weed might as well be plastic - it serves no ecological use in America. Birds won't use it. Butterflies won't use it. Lizards won't use it. It sucks up nutrients and puts nothing back. It will encroach on your good plants if not walled off. It will climb. At least AstroTurf doesn't have to be trimmed regularly.

On Apr 25, 2011, SerenDippity from Wylie, TX wrote:

We refer to this as "The Devil Vine from Hell."
It is a pretty ground cover and can be useful in confined beds…. you see it in commercial landscapes all the time.
It gets ratty looking if not mowed down every two or three years because it just puts new growth on top of dead vines that start to show.
The reason it morphs into devil vine at home is when it is planted too close to the house. It climbs the walls, thus cracking the mortar around the bricks, it climbs into window screens and into the house if it can. Last year when putting up the Christmas decorations we found it growing in our attic!! How crazy is that? It sends roots under the driveway that sprout up through the cracks making them larger. Removing it is a nightmare. The roots are as thick and tangled ... read morebelow ground as the vine is above. Leave an inch of root and before you know it it has sprouted up in 5 new places. Don't put it in the compost! I kept it in black garbage bags for a year with no water and opened it to find live roots. This is the vine that when civilization ends will return all buildings and roads back to nature.

On Feb 3, 2008, irishrose1127 from Dallas, TX wrote:

This plant is evil. If neglected it takes over everything. Do not plant it unless you are able to take care of it. I just bought a house in Dallas where this plant has been neglected for 10 years. It is everywhere. The owner before last had made nice garden plots and segments that the last owner allowed to be completely overrun with this plant. I have been battling it for days and days to try and get these plots back. I have nearly cleared the worst of it but will be fighting back incursions for years. Please be aware of its potential growth when planting.

On Feb 8, 2006, herlurie from Mobile, AL (Zone 8b) wrote:

I live in an apartment, so I bought one small pot of this plant and planted it at the base of a winter jasmine that I have in a large pot on my patio. Every three or four months I give it a little trim and so far (I have had it about a year) it is behaving quite nicely. I have seen this plant in many places around the area - it is quite popular as a ground cover here - and I have noticed that it can be invasive if it is not well-maintained. It seems to do best either in pots or in established beds with some type of border where it can be kept in check. I hope that it blooms this year, but am still pleased if it doesn't because I like the look it adds to the pot as opposed to bare dirt or mulch.

On Oct 30, 2004, Witchie from Martinez, CA (Zone 9a) wrote:

This plant, can, indeed be invasive in the deep south. It does grow rapidly in hot, humid zones and can pose a problem if not trimmed frequently. Futhermore, this plan emits a sappy substance which can cause an allergic reaction (similar to the exposure to poison oak, etc.).

On May 19, 2004, DrJerry from Burleson, TX wrote:

I have used this plant for ten years, or more, as a shade-tolerant groundcover, and it has not spread into my pine or cedar trees. Winter temperatures below about 25 degrees F. may cause discoloration in the leaf; otherwise, the plant fares well in my Texas environment, even during the hottest, driest summers.

On Nov 20, 2003, suncatcheracres from Old Town, FL wrote:

I've only grown this plant in a suburb of Atlanta, Georiga, zone 7b, at an altitude of almost 900 feet, where it seemed to like the highly acidic, heavy red clay soil, as it spread, slowly, into a nicely behaved ground cover, in places where I despaired of ever getting anything to grow. After reading the above I don't think I will plant it here in Northcentral Florida, zone 8b, as it seens it could become invasive. I prefer the look of Mondo grass as a shady ground cover here anyway.

On May 25, 2003, snooklips wrote:

I have been specifying/observing this plant for many years in central Florida (U.S.), where it is considered one of the premier drought-tolerant and easily maintained groundcovers available.

It can be slow to establish so closer spacing is sometimes preferred. Large turf-type harvest/planting methods have been experimented with at University of Florida as a turf alternative because it actually holds up to mimimal foot traffic and is apparently effective at erosion control.

It was planted on an approximately 55° sloping roof at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa with ultimate success (it took several years to establish, possibly from too great of planting centers and water/weed stress.)

It seems to seems to establish better with more wa... read moreter, needing much less after establishment. One drawback with Trachelospermum asiaticum is its rare blooming habit (in Florida), compared to T. jasminoides ("Confederate Jasmine".)