I received a very large potted specimen in a trade. I kept it in a pot in the basement in winter, under one of the windows where it would get some natural light on top of the fluorescents that remain on down there. It decided to begin blooming a few weeks before it was warm enough for it to go outside, and the entire basement smelled wonderful! To bad I didn't have space for it upstairs because by the time I could bring it outdoors it was almost done blooming. But the foliage was pretty anyway.

I can also attest that this is definitely a drought- and shade-tolerant plant. I constantly forgot to water it, and it sat in the corner near our front door where its plastic pot got blasted by blazing hot afternoon sun for a few hours every day and was otherwise shaded. Its leathery, glossy leaves never seemed to wilt, so I didn't usually pay it much attention because it didn't look bad. It's in the basement again this winter, and I wonder if we'll have a jasmine-scented basement this spring.

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Trachelospermum jasminoides ("Confederate Jasmine") is native to China but has been popular in North America for centuries. Although not a true jasmine, it is a fast growing, twining scrambling vine that can attain heights to 40'. It requires sun to partial shade to do well, is drought tolerant and pretty much pest free. Confederate Jasmine has extremely fragrant blooms from spring to early summer.

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