Star Jasmine

Star Jasmine 'Flat Mat' (Trachelospermum jasminoides 'Flat Mat') is the familiar star jasmine rebuilt as a groundcover. Instead of climbing, it hugs the ground at about 25cm high and spreads to 1.5m across, laying down glossy evergreen foliage studded with perfumed white pinwheel flowers through the warm months. Planted 60cm apart, it closes into a dense fragrant carpet.

Why you'll love it

• It stays flat. This is a prostrate, non twining selection, so it will not creep up your fence, trees or house the way ordinary star jasmine does.
• Fragrance at ground level. The white flowers carry that unmistakable star jasmine perfume along paths and across courtyards.
• Fast, weed smothering cover. It grows quickly into a dense mat that leaves little room for weeds once established.
• Hardy almost everywhere. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, heat tolerant and coastal tough, it grows from cool temperate gardens to the tropics.
• Kind to pollinators. Bees and butterflies work the flowers right through the season.

Where it works best

Groundcover and mass planting. Space plants 60cm apart for full cover in a season or two. It is the reliable green answer for those awkward strips where lawn will not thrive.

Retaining walls and slopes. Planted along the top of a wall it spills over the face in a curtain of green and white, and on banks it binds the surface while looking after itself.

Borders, edging and pots. It holds a neat line along paths with an occasional trim, and in containers it mounds gently then trails over the rim.

Growing Star Jasmine 'Flat Mat' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest mat and heaviest flowering; part shade is fine at the cost of some blooms. It handles every mainland climate from cool temperate to tropical, and it is genuinely frost hardy once established.

Soil. Any reasonable soil with drainage suits it. Work compost into poor ground and mulch between young plants until they meet.

Water and feed. Water twice a week for the first couple of months, then taper right off; established mats are drought tolerant. A slow release fertiliser each spring keeps the foliage glossy.

Pruning. Trim the edges whenever they wander past their line, any time of year. Wear gloves for bigger cutbacks, as the milky sap is a mild skin irritant.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Flat Mat as single tubes and as 140mm pots in packs of 10. Tubes are small but establish quickly, and they are the economical way to plant a large area. The 140mm packs carry more spread on day one, and one pack covers about a 6m run at the recommended 60cm spacing.

Plants travel well and arrive ready to go in the ground. Orders are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect the first month to happen below the soil, then steady spread through warm weather. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Using trachelospermum as an easy groundcover
• Classic climbing star jasmine for fences and screens
• More plants for retaining walls
• Browse the full groundcover range

Common questions

Will it climb my fence like normal star jasmine?

No. Flat Mat is a prostrate selection that does not twine, so it stays down as a carpet. If you want a fence covered, choose the classic climbing form instead.

How far apart should I plant it?

60cm apart for a dense carpet within a season or two. Closer spacing speeds things up only marginally and costs more plants than it is worth.

Is it safe around pets?

It is not sold as a pet safe plant. The milky sap is a mild irritant, so it is a poor choice for dogs that dig and chew plantings, though casual contact is not a concern.

How do I keep it tidy?

One or two light trims a year along paths and edges is all it takes. It responds to a harder cut in spring if a mat ever gets thatchy.