How to Propagate a Chinese Star Jasmine Plant

Chinese star jasmine, Trachelospermum jasminoides, is a fast-growing vine that will produce masses of tiny, white, pinwheel-shaped flowers. During the warm evenings of summer, the star jasmine flowers perfume the neighborhood with a sweet scent. If left unpruned, the vines of the Chinese star jasmine can grow more than 20 feet long. The vine will wind itself around fences, arbors or trellises. Chinese star jasmine, also known as Confederate jasmine, can be propagated by tip layering during the spring.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

• Sharp knife
• Trowel
• Heavy rock or bent wire
• Compost or mulch

1. Locate a healthy branch near the lower part of the Chinese star jasmine plant. Identify a branch that is flexible and long enough to easily touch the ground.

2. Scrape a thin layer of bark, using the tip of a sharp knife, from the bottom side of the stem about five to six inches from the stem’s tip. Loosen the top 2 inches of the soil with a trowel where the stem will contact the soil.

3. Bend the stem over. Remove the leaves in the area where the stem touches the soil. Secure the stem to the ground with a heavy rock or a bent wire.

4. Cover the stem with a 2- to 3-inch layer of compost or mulch, which will help keep the stem damp. Water regularly to keep the soil slightly moist at all times; never allow the soil to dry out completely.

5. Allow the stem to remain in place at least until autumn. Cut the new Chinese star jasmine plant from the parent plant in autumn, or wait until the following spring. Dig up the new plant, along with the surrounding soil. Plant the jasmine in its new home.