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Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Monday - June 25, 2012

From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Yellowing leaves on non-native jasmine from Austin
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Hi, I have a mature jasmine plant in the ground in a very sunny courtyard which gets watered daily. The lower leaves are turning yellow and am wondering if this is too much water for it. The top leaves are green and look healthy. It's blooming mostly towards the top. Another problem is that some thing is eating the lower leaves. They appear as though they're cut. Hope you can help. Thanks in advance. Carmi Alvarez-Smtih

ANSWER:

There are several different species with the common name "jasmine" but none of them are native to North America.

We're very sorry, but we must decline to directly address your question.  The focus of our research and the extent of our expertise are limited to plants native to North America.  We hope you understand.  However, we may be able to point you in the direction of more helpful resources.  The user forums on the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden's website are an excellent source of information for non-native plant culture.  Other potentially helpful resources are listed below:

The Flower Expert Jasmine

Better Homes and Gardens Jasmine
 

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