Star jasmine is a fast growing shrub perfect for forming a screen or dense hedge. Plant them in full sun in well draining soil and water them regularly to get up to 3 feet of growth in its first year. Star jasmine that are left unpruned can grow up to 6 feet per year in subtropical conditions.
Keep star jasmine dense bushy and growing well by pruning it regularly and keeping the long trailing stems in check. I am growing a star jasmine alongside a garden screen to scramble up and provide a beautiful coverage of flowers in spring.
I had planted my star jasmine at the end of fall and it green very little over the cooler months. As soon as the warm weather arrived in spring it shot out new growth adding at least 30 inches of growth on the longest stems.
This star jasmine is well on its way to add around 3 feet of growth this year but to keep it compact and growing in the right direction I will be cutting back the long stems to encourage it to branch out and fill the space.
How big will star jasmine grow each year?
Star jasmine will grow around 3-6 feet per year if well looked after. Star jasmine will grow to a maximum size of around 20 feet but can be kept smaller through regular pruning.
Top tips for growing star jasmine faster and bigger
Here are my tips for growing large, healthy star jasmine plants in your yard at home. There are a few tips and tricks for healthy star jasmine growth for more leaves and flowers.
Full sun
Positioning your new star jasmine plant in a pot or garden bed can be placed in full sun position will give it the best chance to grow healthy and fast. Star jasmine will grow in both full sun position and part shade but you can expect the fastest growth with the more sun the plant gets.
Humid or subtropical weather
Growing star jasmine plants in tropical and subtropical regions will result in the fastest growth rates. Star jasmine love mild winters and humid summers. These plants will thrive in these tropical regions but you can still expect good growth in temperate and cooler regions.
Regular water
Regular water for star jasmine is key to fast growth particularly in the first year. When you first plant out star jasmine water them every 2-3 days for the first 3 weeks. Plant star jasmine in spring or fall to give them the chance to establish before the weather becomes too hot or too cold.
Water star jasmine regularly in the warmer months up to twice per week when there is low rainfall. Deep watering less regularly will encourage the star jasmine to send down deep roots and make them drought tolerant in the long run.
Regular water will get new star jasmine plants off to the best start, encourage them to send out a healthy root system and result in fast growth in the first and following years.
Good fertilizer
Fertilizer is important for healthy star jasmine that grow fast. Fertilizing star jasmine is as simple as using a general all purpose fertilizer like pelleted chicken manure which will give out a balanced amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as well as minerals such as calcium and micronutrients such as magnesium.
Mulch
Mulching star jasmine will definitely help the plant to grow rapidly. Bark mulch is important to help to protect the soil and keep the soil moisture in for longer. This will result in the need to water less and it will also to protect the plant for being overgrown with weeds.
Mulching will prevent the weed seeds in the ground from getting light and will help to stop weeds from growing near the plant. This will help to reduce the competition to the star jasmine which will give them better access to nutrients and water and help them to grow faster.
Prune it regularly
Prune the star jasmine regularly to keep it growing in a dense, neat shape. While this might seem like a strange thing to do to encourage more growth, it actually will encourage the plant to send out more stems which will make the plant look dense, leafy and it will be covered in flowers in spring.
Leaving a star jasmine unpruned can result in a very long stringy plant although it will grow very long stems very quickly. Make a choice as to what you want your plant to look like. Allowing the star jasmine to weave its way through a screen will result in a very tall plant that may be less dense.
How fast does star jasmine grow in a year?
Star jasmine can grow more than 3 feet in one year. Pruning star jasmine regularly will keep it neat and manageable. If you want your star jasmine to quickly scramble up a screen you can leave the long stems to grow and trim back any protruding stems coming from other areas of the bush.
Does star jasmine grow fast? | Summary
Star jasmine is a fast growing bush that will quickly grow long stems and lots of flowers in spring. Star jasmine will slow its growth to almost a stop and then in spring and summer will burst into life and add rapid growth and flowers.
In the first year of a star jasmine’s life it may not get to the point of growing flowers but will definitely add extra stem length and leaves. You can quickly grow a screen, a hedge or a round shrub using star jasmine and they will grow fastest in tropical and subtropical areas.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.