Trachelospermum asiaticum Tricolor - Asian Jasmine

Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Tricolor', commonly known as Tricolour Dwarf Star Jasmine, is a compact climbing plant adorned with unusual evergreen foliage. Variegated with green, cream, and pink, it evolves throughout the seasons and remains decorative all year round. A discreet cream flowering, delicately scented, adds to the charm of this lovely variety. Versatile, it can be used as ground cover, in a pot, or to dress a trellis. Ideal for small gardens and terraces, it is used in Japan as a multicoloured carpet.

Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Tricolor' belongs to the Apocynaceae family. The typical species, nicknamed Yellow Star Jasmine, originates from East Asia, mainly Japan, Korea, and China. 'Tricolor' is a variety selected for its particularly ornamental foliage and compact size. Its oval, slightly pointed leaves measure between 3 and 6 cm long. Young shoots are bright pink before becoming variegated with cream and dark green. The plant forms a dense carpet or climbs on supports thanks to its woody stems, twining at the base. Its sparse summer flowering produces small star-shaped flowers in creamy white to pale yellow with a subtle fragrance. Small spiralled,  star-shaped flower clusters, 2 to 3 cm wide, appear in the axils of the leaves or at the end of the branches. Their scent is sweet, strongly imbued with vanilla and biscuit notes. The growth of this 'Tricolor' cultivar is moderate, reaching a maximum height of about 1 m and a width of up to 1.5 m. Hardy down to -12°C, Trachelospermum asiaticum 'Tricolor' thrives in well-drained soils.

In the garden, the Tricolour Star Jasmine is interesting for dressing shaded areas where it forms a delicately coloured ground cover. It will also look superb among moss-covered rocks in a Japanese-style setting or grown in pots or containers. This variety pairs well with Heucheras with purple foliage ('Forever Purple'), golden Carex ('Everillo'), Dwarf Hostas, or ferns. To enrich the floral palette, it can be paired with bellflowers for rockeries and walls or hardy geraniums macrorrhizum. All these plants will create attractive and easy-to-maintain compositions.