Is Trachelospermum Asiaticum Deer Resistant?

Star Jasmine

• It's a lively, lovely vine that grows to 12 feet or more in any direction you please. If you want a climbing vine, star jasmine pulls itself up 12 feet by twining; alternatively, let it sprawl across an incline to create an effective, evergreen ground cover. The flowers are elegant, more ivory than white, and grace the plant from May through July. Star jasmine grows fast, which together with the angelic perfume, makes this a popular backyard choice.

Deer

• Deer are difficult to hate, until they get into your garden. Gentle and graceful, deer roamed for centuries where we now live and consider whatever grows as available for munching. Wolves and other woodland predators limited the deer population until the forests were replaced by urban centers. While predators have been largely eliminated in populated areas, deer remain plentiful. These large mammals look for food wherever they can find it, including your garden,

Deer-Resistant

• Deer would be easy guests to have for dinner: they eat whatever is available. They start with plants they particularly like, move on to those they do not particularly like and finish with the decidedly unpalatable. When a plant is noted as "deer-resistant," all that means is that it is lower on the animal's list of favorite plants than many others. Star jasmine is labeled deer-resistant by some, as is its cousin confederate jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides) that thrives in USDA zones 7 through 10. However, deer munch them just the same if nothing better is available.

Deer Solutions

• It may not be worth your time to get too fancy with deer protection. Spray-on deer repellents are available commercially, and you will find various devices on the market that claim to scare deer with loud noises. However, experts from the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program opine that only physical exclusion keep deer out of your garden consistently. To exclude deer, fencing must be over 6 feet tall and scrape the ground to prevent hungry Bambi from squeezing under. Appropriate fencing protects not just your star jasmine, but all your other deer-vulnerable plants as well.