Trachelospermum jasminoides

confederate jasmine

The common name “Confederate jasmine” is quite misleading in that the plant is neither native to the old Confederate United States (it is native to China) nor is it a true jasmine (a species in the genus Jasminum). It grows well in full sun to part shade and can tolerate drought.

The flowers produce a wonderful jasmine-like fragrance whenever it is in bloom. Because of this, Confederate jasmine is a very popular landscape plant and essential oil extracts derived from the flowers have been used in perfumes.

The inner bark of the stems yields a strong bast fiber used for making rope, paper, and bags.

The plant is used traditionally for medicine in its native Asiatic range.

A number of different types of fungal endophytes (fungi that grow within the plant) can be hosted by Confederate jasmine. These fungi produce chemical compounds called secondary metabolites that help a plant defend itself from herbivores. These compounds are often quite medicinally valuable as well.