Walton's Plant Library

Other Names:  Variegated Minima Jasmine

Description:

An interesting, low maintenance groundcover with pink emerging leaves that become dark glossy green with white variegation; white flowers compliment the nice foliage in late spring; great for lightly shaded woodland areas

Ornamental Features

Minima Tricolor Asian Jasmine features showy fragrant white flowers at the ends of the stems from mid spring to early summer. Its attractive glossy narrow leaves emerge pink in spring, turning dark green in color with showy white variegation and tinges of coppery-bronze the rest of the year.

Landscape Attributes

Minima Tricolor Asian Jasmine is an herbaceous evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its medium texture blends into the garden, but can always be balanced by a couple of finer or coarser plants for an effective composition.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Minima Tricolor Asian Jasmine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Minima Tricolor Asian Jasmine will grow to be only 4 inches tall at maturity extending to 6 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 14 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant does best in partial shade to full shade. Keep it well away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by cuttings; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Minima Tricolor Asian Jasmine is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.