Native Plants

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Tuesday - May 13, 2008

From: Lago Vista, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Deer Resistant
Title: Is Star Jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) deer resistant
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

I visited a building in Austin, Texas today that had Star Jasmine out front. The man I was visiting said it is also called Confederate Jasmine. It smelled divine! I am wondering if it is deer resistant.

ANSWER:

Trachelospermum jasminoides (Confederate jasmine or star jasmine) is an introduced plant to North America, a native of China, and is not really in our purview since our focus and expertise here at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center are with plants native to North America. However, we did find a list from the Williamson County Cooperative Extension Agent listing T. jasminoides as deer resistant, but "observed heavily eaten under pressure."

May we suggest a native alternative to this introduced species? Our native Gelsemium sempervirens (yellow jasmine or Carolina jessamine) is also very fragrant, is evergreen, has beautiful yellow trumpet-shaped flowers and is deer resistant.