Hmmm, 'which' star jasmine are we talking about here? Most often it means trachelospermum jasminoides, one of the "non-jasmine jasmines" -- it's tough, blooms like crazy in the spring and then a few more during the summer. Angelwing jasmine, jasminum nitidum, never flowers all at once, but it's almost always flowering; it's not as hardy as star jasmine. Both are evergreen, with glossy green leaves, and will fill the area in a year. Fragrance-wise, I find star jasmine a little too sweet, especially up close. Angelwing has a nice soft, scented-soap kinda scent. Can you find a nursery nearby to take a sniff test? Jim

Hi All - First posting here. I stumbled in here, after searching for info on ground cover that grows rapidly and vertically. I live in the Metro Atlanta area, specifically about 30 minutes SW of the airport in Newnan. Our lot slopes up from the street, and our back yard has always been nearly non-existent. It went back maybe 10-15 feet, was uneven, and full of rocks. I had someone come in and do some grading to get a fairly flat surface, and 15-20 feet from the back of the house, so we could actually use part of the back yard. One spot was used to put a cheap pool (You can see it's still filling in the pic). Grading is a lot cheaper than building retaining walls, so that's not in my plan, at least not for a year or two. What I want to do is find something that I can plant at the base of this vertical slope (the loose dirt will be removed), and have it grow up the slope vertically, and hopefully root into it as it grows, to aid in holding it in place. Ultimately, I'd like it to continue to the upper part which has always been weeds, and cover that, choking out the unattractive weeds, and making it more maintenance free. It sounds like Confederate Jasmine may be what I'm looking for. As you can see in the picture, I am surrounded by hard, compacted clay, and to make it more fun, it's probably the rockiest soil I've seen here, and I've been in this area most of my life. How long do you think it would take Confederate Jasmine to grow to the top of the bare area (maybe 7' at the corner peak)? This area is in full Sun from maybe 11AM till just about dusk each day. Would it grow straight up, or would it fan out and grow up and out at the same pace? Should I plant it just at the base? How far apart should I plant it, and how is Confederate Jasmine sold? Thanks in advance!

To make any plant 'fill out' at the bottom, you have to cut it clear back to the base, where new growth will begin. WHEREVER you cut the plant is where it will put out TWO new branches. It sounds as if you need to start it over, by cutting a few branches at a time until you reach your desired fullness. How you will 'untangled' is anyone's guess. If I were doing it, I'd cut the whole vine back to the ground and let it start over.

Mara, did you read above that the star jasmines sold today in nurseries are likely to be the Madison variety even if not labeled as such? It seems when a superior cultivar is introduced and it's not possible to tell the difference by looks alone that it will be propagated rather than the old variety and if not named no royalties have to be paid. I was told that by someone in the nursery business when I was searching for Madison without success. I tend to believe it seeing how my neighbor James' plants were more hardy than what I had. Did the above ground stems on yours split? Keep us posted on whether they return and I will do the same.