Star jasmine bonsai appreciation: common cliff-style confederate jasmine bonsai

Star jasmine

Scientific name: Trachelospermum jasminoides Lem.

Alternative name: confederate jasmine

Star jasmine belongs to the genus Trachelospermum in the family Apocynaceae, and is an evergreen climbing shrub. It can reach 10 m in length. The leaves are simple and glossy on the surface. The flowers are white with spots, fragrant, and spiral-shaped, blooming from April to June. There are large-leaf and small-leaf types. The small-leaf type blooms in April, while the large-leaf type blooms later. It is native to China and is distributed in many regions.

Star jasmine likes sunlight. It is fairly cold-tolerant and prefers moisture, and has no strict requirements for soil and fertilizer.

Star jasmine should have its soil changed once every 4-5 years, best in March or April in spring.

Propagation methods include sowing, cuttings and layering, with layering being the main method. Sowing is mostly done in spring. The cutting period is in June, using softwood cuttings. Layering can be done in both spring and autumn. In February and March, layering is done with old branches, while in June and July, softwood branches are used for layering. Generally, spring layering roots more slowly, but the flowers and leaves are stronger.

In bonsai, star jasmine is often planted in cliff style, and is also planted on rocks or attached to dead tree roots