Vigorous Ground Cover = Asiatic Jasmine

Many descriptions come to mind when I think of Asiatic Jasmine...fast growing, pretty foliage, drought tolerant, tolerates sun and shade, and so on. While this plant may not be for everyone, especially if you are looking for plants that require "no attention", this little gem just might be a plant to work into some situations in your landscape.

Asiatic jasmine is a ground cover that forms a thick carpet of shiny, evergreen leaves. It grows to a height of anywhere from 4" to 12+" as a ground cover, but can grow up a wall or down from a hanging basket or the top of a wall by as much as 10+'. Along a side walk or up against a house, the vine-like nature of this plant will require some maintenance. You may want to prune the jasmine to keep it from growing up the outside walls of your home and into the crevices of your windows, especially if they are within one foot of the ground. Along a sidewalk, an occasional trimming will keep things looking neat. Asiatic jasmine is tough, so it will tolerate heavy pruning, weed eating, or even pruning by mower (never thought I utter those words!).
One of the best things about Asiatic Jasmine is that it is quite pretty. A nice planting surrounding an accent stone, small specimen tree or garden art is quite a nice touch. This specific jasmine (scientific name Trachelospermum asiaticum) can bloom on long stems, but typically, you will not have flowering. It's just an elegant, yet strong plant (Zone 7-10) that can adapt to a variety of situations. You should give it a look for your landscape. It's certainly a plant I use from time to time in my exploits as a plants man.


Several varieties of Asiatic jasmine are available, including variegated forms and dwarf types.



A great plant for erosion control.