Friday, September 5, 2014

My favorite (new) plant in the garden this week...Asiatic Jasmine!

It's that plant we love to hate, except this one was too pretty to pass up so I'm joining Loree at Danger Garden to feature Trachelospermum asiaticum 'HOSNS' as my favorite plant....this week.

This week I stopped by Shades of Green nursery in San Antonio where my friend Pat recommended I take a look at newly arrived Asiatic Jasmine Snow-N-Summer (Trachelospermum asiaticum 'HOSNS').  At first I hesitated--Asiatic Jasmine?   I took a look anyway and bought it even though I have no idea where it will go yet.

Here's my latest impulse purchase fresh out of the car and already brightening up the view from the kitchen.  According to my research, Asiatic Jasmine does well in pots--not something I would have thought of before acquiring this one.


If you've searched "flowering vines for shade" you likely found a very short list of options.  With its bract-like tips Asiatic Jasmine Snow-N-Summer looks like a great way to get color into your shade garden.  The new growth starts out bright pink, fades to speckled green, and eventually turns the emerald green typical of Asiatic Jasmine.  It's a good idea to shear the tips occasionally to encourage colorful new growth.


Developed by the Garden Debut division of Greenleaf Growers, Asiatic Jasmine Snow-N-Summer has been available since 2010 but I had not seen it until now.  The flowers are considered insignificant on this plant.  With foliage like this I don't think I'd miss the flowers anyway.

This is the third Asiatic Jasmine plant I've added and not one of them is the basic green variety which can get out of control in our climate.  So 'Snow-N-Summer' joins 'Salsa' and 'Angyo Bronze' as part of a growing collection in the shade garden.  They do well in bright shade which I have in abundance but so far none of my Asiatic Jasmine have become invasive.  In fact, I often wonder if they will ever fill in since they have been slow to establish after nearly four years in the front garden.  Asiatic Jasmine plants are drought tolerant and absolutely deer proof in my yard.


According to the info it is hardy to Zone 6 and will grow to 8" tall by about 36" wide so it promises to be well-behaved in the garden and play nicely among my oak trees.

Loree's favorite plant this week is a fun Cassia I've been looking for so check out that plant and more at Danger Garden.

19 comments:

  1. Wow, that foliage is crazy! I have a vague memory of a friend buying something like this at a plant sale this spring. Might have been Peter (the Outlaw). If so perhaps he'll be weighing in here with his experience.

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    1. It is a surprise from such a common plant. Peter did turn up and he has a gold variety. His experience is that neglect seems to work.

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  2. That's a beauty! I wonder how it will do here in the PNW, and if it's even available. I've been thinking of putting some containers along the north edge of my house, against the foundation, and this is a possibility, since you said it likes shade and being in a container.

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    1. I think it will do well, see Peter's reply below. Greenleaf mainly grows plants for the south so it might take a while for this one to make the trek west just as I often spot plants on PNW blogs that are not available here.

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  3. It's gorgeous! I have the gold variegated variety but not this gorgeous one. Mine has done pretty well this year considering that I got it in January, left it out in a pot, put some other things in front of it and forgot it was there until July. Somehow it survived in the dark with no water. It's in the ground now and is putting out new growth. Seems pretty tough.

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    1. I could easily imagine it in your garden Peter. So I might have better results with neglect of this plant. I've already moved the bronze one into a darker corner where it will be ignored until it decides to grow.

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  4. That foliage is fabulous. Interesting how the tips start out pink and turn speckled and evetually green. I did a little Googling, and it looks like it might be a good annual plant in pots for those of us in the north. It's a beauty, indeed.

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    1. You probably wouldn't need to water it in WI. It's slow growing so would look about the same all summer.

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  5. I can't quite imagine an entire sweep of it, but it sounds like that's not really a danger since it's slow to grow. It looks like quite a pretty plant for a shady pot though.

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    1. It would depend on the location. I could see it replacing a bed of annuals which neither of us do anyway.

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  6. Foliage color in the shade is always valuable. It appears to have been cleared for zone 10 as well. I'll be interested to see if it shows up in SoCal.

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    1. I think it would be great in SoCal. Interesting since usually the best plants are developed in CA or PNW first and we have to wait.

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  7. This foliage is very popular here in Japan, too. It's called "Hatsu-yuki Kazura" in Japanese. "Hatsu-yuki" means "first snow of the year." This foliage is like covered with snow, isn't it? Lovely!!

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    1. That's such fun information Keity. It looks like snow which is very rare in San Antonio so I could say this plant is the first snow of the year!

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  8. I can't believe I am saying this about asiatic jasmine, but that is SUPER COOL!!!!!!!!!!

    Very, very interesting. :) can't wait to see where you put it.

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  9. Brilliant! I'm always looking for new plants for the woodland garden, thank you.

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  10. I have the regular type and a variegated type, but this one is new to me! I have never seen it for sale. Thanks for sharing. I can use this one in my shady side garden. Do you now have all the types?

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  11. I just finished digging out old school boring green jasmine from a front shaded bed. I think those plants might be older than I am. It is the one plant I WISH the deer would eat, honestly. That said, if the plants I had looked anything like the one you just found? I'd be a much happier camper. Those are some pretty fancy bracts!

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  12. I'm in So Cal and can't find it ANYWHERE, now even on line. Anyone know how to get a hold of some? Thanks!

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