Cool little Asian Star Jasmine with tiny variegated leaves that forms dense mounds as a ground cover or in time it can reach up as a cute and not strangling vine. Each leaf is margined and splashed with white. New growth has distinct pink tints for a distinct multicolor effect. Forms a fine textured plant but as a small scale ground cover it will block weeds. To 1′ tall x 30″ wide as a ground cover. To 8′ tall or higher as a self clinging vine in wind free places. Rich, well drained soil with regular summer water. Definitely double dig the soil before planting to incorporate oxygen as well as assist in absorption of water. Add organic fertilizer as well. Trachelospermums appreciate good drainage and regular summer irrigation to do their best. Otherwise drought tolerant but slow growing. Nice on fences or screens or up the trunk of a Trachycarpus (Windmill Palm). Good deer resistance. Evergreen.
Plant Type: Ground cover
Ground covers are useful for many different places. The important things are scale, vigor, and fertility of the soil. We advocate for plants that actually cover the ground in the most efficient way possible. Prepare the soil, at least double dig it so that there is oxygen in the soil. Smaller ground covers all uniformly require NON- compacted soil. And most benefit from an annual top dress of compost. Pour it right over the top and then water it to settle between the leaves. Water them reqularly unless they are completely drought adapted. For ground covers between pavers its important that the soil never becomes compacted- if it does (see above with compost).
Be realistic and care for your ground cover
A good ground cover blocks out weeds and creates the effect of a pool of foliage. Don’t try to cover the whole planet- that is rarely successful. Instead be realistic about what each plant can do. Some ground covers excel at erosion control, they often root into the ground along the stem stabilizing soil as they grow. Others work efficiently at blocking the growth of other plants- that means in the correct conditions they will be the dominant plant. Remember that weed seeds are born on the wind. They don’t just miraculously sprout from below. Therefore, you must concentrate on eliminating invaders. If that means hand pulling then that is what it takes. Very few desirable ground covers can get by with absolutely no care. Consider these plants your team and you are the coach. Heh. Here is a list of plants that do this job well.
Climate Adapted Plants for Gardeners in the PNW
Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Fragrant Form’
About 30 years ago I was introduced to this form of Asian Star Jasmine in Eugene. It was passed around as a clone that survived the disastrous freezes of 1989 and 1990. Its also sweetly fragrant where most varieties of Asian Star Jasmine are not or faint. This is an actual pleasant aroma, not as heady as the more common Star Jasmine Trachelospermum jasminoides, but pleasantly sweet. The parchment colored flowers appear for an extended period from June to September. A huge flush of flowers in early summer and then sporadically for months. Rich to average soil with regular summer water to establish and speed growth. Asian Star Jasmine waits to grow until truly warm weather is consistent. Regular water + warmth leads to a spreading ground cover or in wind free places it can self attach to surfaces and climb. To 12′ tall as a vine 18″ tall x 3′ as a ground cover. Full sun to considerable shade but not competition from tree roots. Very cold hardy form tolerating temperatures below 5ºF for short periods. Glossy undulate leaves are handsome year round. Wonderful, durable, ground cover. Establish this plant well before its first winter and mulch for added protection. One of our favorite forms of Asian Star Jasmine. This performs just as consistently as other clones that have proved their durability. Not bothered by deer. Tolerates dry shade when very well established. Both as a ground cover and as a vine it clothes itself densely in foliage never any bare knees. Roots along the ground as it goes, great on slopes.
Xera Plants Introduction
Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Ogon Nishiki’
This poor plant though spectacular has a bunch of silly marketing names attached to it. We stick with the original Japanese cultivar name- seems appropriate. No other evergreen vine/groundcover has a foliage display that matches this plant. New leaves emerge bright orange and then morph slowly to patches of light yellow surrounded by dark green. Delightful. We’ve never seen flowers on this cultivar and we don’t need to. Great small scale and vivid ground cover. Mounds and trails to 8″ tall and several feet wide in a single season. It has been surprisingly hardy to cold enduring temps below 10ºF with no harm. Best in part shade to shade in rich, well drained soil with regular summer water. This vine grows when its warm therefore you water it when its warm. Twins around thin objects and will eventually hoist itself skyward. Solidly evergreen. Excellent container plant. Moderate deer resistance.
Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Red Top’
We’ve grown this excellent small scale groundcover for 20 years and it never fails to find a useful place in gardens. ‘Red Top’ Asian Star Jasmine is named for its bright red new growth which settles down to green with white veins. Each leaf is very pretty but as the plant mounds up and becomes dense its downright elegant. Thick growing ground cover for full sun to full shade in rich, moisture retentive soil. Takes very dry conditions once it has rooted in a bit. Trailing stems will root as they touch the soil providing erosion control. In wind free places with support it will actually climb as a vine and become self adhering to any rough surface. Adult foliage has leaves that are nearly circular and will produce a long season of ivory propeller shaped non-fragrant flowers June – August. Moderate deer resistance. To 10″ tall and 3′ wide as a ground cover. Regular water significantly speeds growth. Good winter appearance. Easy to grow plant.
Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Variegatum’
Variegated Asian Star Jasmine. Excellent evergreen ground cover with playful foliage that looks great year round. Lovely entire leaves are spaced and outlined in cream. Great contrast to the sage green leaf interior. Trailing ground cover (occasionally it can rise up to be a vine- in windfree locations with support) but mainly its value is a year round showy and consistent look. Mounding and trailing it will root into the ground when it feels like it. To 10″ tall and 3′ wide as a ground cover. To 10′ tall as a vine. Full sun to dense shade in rich, well drained soil. But it adapts to harsher sites if given regular water. Excellent under trees, shrubs. Dense enough to discourage weeds. Very cold and drought tolerant. Seldom blooms. Moderate deer resistance. This and all Trachelsospermum asiaticum have two distinct forms of foliage. Juvenile and adult. Juvenile foliage is associated with long trailing and vining material. In wind free, still locations it can rise up as vine and thats when it becomes adult. This plant ONLY BLOOMS ON ADULT foliage. So, that is one reason you seldom see flowers on Asian star jasmine. Over time adult foliage will appear on ground covers. Its less vining and more bushy. Again, until adult foliage forms there will be no flowers.
Vancouveria chrysantha
Rare perennial Siskiyou Inside-out-Flower is a much more drought tolerant version of our locally native Vancouveria hexandra (Inside out flower). This yellow flowered species tolerates extreme dry shade and colonizes even compacted dry soils to create a handsome ground cover. The delicate looking interestingly shaped leaves create a soft mound of shapes in cool green and edged slightly in red. In April-June 20″ wiry spikes suspend small downward pointing flowers- they appear to float above the foliage reminding me of a group of fireflies. (Wish we had those). Mostly evergreen if temperatures stay above about 15ºF. Basically this is our version of Epimedium (to which it is related) but with more tolerance for summer drought. To 8″ tall and spreading to several feet wide in richer, moisture retentive soil. Light summer water increases growth. This is an extraordinarily elegant native that should find a happy home in gardens too. Part shade to full shade. Not bothered by pests. Excellent perennial under large shrubs or within tree roots. In the wild it is the understory plant to Arctostaphylos, Rhododendron, Vaccinium, Notholithocarpus densiflorus var. echinoides. Associate perennials were Oxalis oreganus and Mianthemum as well as viola semperivrens- Redwood violet. Easy community to replicate in your garden. Oregon native plant.
I found this remarkable form of our native Inside Out flower in southern Oregon, I wiggled off a tiny piece and put it in my pocket, the parent plant was unharmed. Its taken years but we are ready to offer this beautiful form of our native Vancouveria hexandra with new foliage that is deep wine colored and then matures to green with a red edge. In early summer this spreading perennial sports upside down white flowers on 4″ to 6″ above the foliage. A spreading ground cover that shows remarkable tolerance to drought once established. Amend the soil with compost and mulch, water consistently for the first year or two. Let the soil dry between watering. Leaves rise 6″ and forms spreading colonies. Winter deciduous, it disappears completely – all the better to showcase the deep burgundy new growth. Fall color is yellow and brief and the plant remains decompose over winter. Not the first plant to be devoured by deer/ rabbits but I would protect for the first few years. Deep burgundy foliage remains showy before morphing to deep green with a red edge. This is a member of the Barberry family (Berberidaceae) and is related to Epimedium and has the same applications. Combine with gold leaved perennials for the most contrast and drama. Hakenochloa macra ‘All Gold’ , ‘Campanula garganica ‘Dicksons Gold’, and Golden baby tears , Soleirolia soleirolii ‘Aurea’ . Very good in containers as well. Spice up a native garden. This perennial makes a great cover for native bulbs – Brodiaea and Fritillaria lanceolata, Calochortus tolmei,- are excellent companions, fading just as the Vancouveria is emerging and bulking up. Enriched soil, regular water to establish, this dweller of the forest floor appreciates an annual mulch. Oregon native plant
Xera Plants Introduction
Veronica liawanensis
Turkish speedwell is an excellent low water creeping ground cover that performs wonderfully in our climate. Flush with the ground this evergreen creeps in well drained average to enriched soil to several feet wide in several seasons. In April to May carpets of sky blue flowers obscure the entire plant. Very pretty. Roots as it grows, excellent for erosion control on a small scale on steep slopes. Regular summer water speeds growth but once established it takes summer drought very well. Full sun to the very lightest shade. Dies out in compacted soils- make sure to double dig the area around where it is to go to incorporate oxygen in the soil. For tired plantings simple overspread compost on top of it and let it settle between the leaves in early spring. Easy to grow hardy little ground cover. Moderate deer resistance.
Whipplea modesta
Yerba de Selva or whipple vine, a wonderful small scale evergreen native ground cover. Related to Hydrangeas but this trailer is actually very droughtadapted.e In late spring clouds of small white flowers , Scrambling plant to about 8″ tall and 2′ wide. Full sun to considerable shade. From Portland south this is a common understory component of the herb field. It grew happily in our back 40 where I grew up. There it made pretty scrambling patches between Vancouveria, snow berry and hairy honeysuckle. Often you would see our native columbine ( Aquilegia formosa) as an associate. Its very drought adapted when established but it improves with a few soaks over summer- never perpetually wet and never hot and wet. Otherwise an easy native that should be grown a lot more. For use as a small scale ground cover plant on 10″ centers. It will also gracefully trail over rockeries and walls. Butterflies adore the flowers. Competes well with invasives. Some deer resistance. It may be cut back in early spring to refresh. Once native in the Portland city limits. This is a great native understory for Arctostaphylos, which is frequently seen in the wild. Oregon native plant.
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