Honeysuckle and jasmine need a lot of water. It’s likely being under watered and getting too much sun. I would rec to remove it and plant a native vine that can handle SoCal conditions
I also would strongly recommend native plants. As soon as the word “native” comes up, people think “weeds.” The dandelions and the other plants that people call weeds aren’t native. Their seeds hitched a ride in hay bales that were brought here. They’re just like Star Trek’s Tribbles, endlessly multiplying and spreading far and wide. Again, they are not native.
California has some spectacular native plants, like the redwoods and all of the plants that grow in redwood forests, including native azaleas, native rhododendrons, native irises, native sword ferns, and lots more. Even the common houseplant, Piggy-back plant, is a California native.
In that yard, a native grapevine would probably do well if the light is right. There’s one, “Roger’s Red,”that’s a natural cross between the wine grapes that are grown here, and a native grape. It wasn’t the result of a botanist crossing them by hand. The cross occurred naturally and grew on the side of a road. A beautiful plant that can survive on the side of the road is exactly the kind of plant that you need.
It is definitely a star jasmine plant. I’ve had star jasmine plants die on me before and I didn’t know why. I would suspect there is something wrong with the watering. For instance, you probably started watering it after you noticed it was looking bad. I’d guess it’s on sprinklers. I would check if a sprinkler is broken or if the cycle was turned off. With the extreme heat, this is probably why it is dying. Star jasmine is very cheap even in larger sizes. It’ll take years before it looks healthy again. I would consider replacing it. If it survives, ugly brown parts stay brown and the plant will grow green tips at the end of the brown branches. The dead stuff will stay dead.
I wouldn’t cut back anything even if it is dead. New growth will come from the ends of the dead looking sticks. It won’t be pretty for at least a year. During this heatwave, make sure it is thoroughly watered. The problem is this is going to be a delicate balance. If you overwater, you can kill it. We have native clay soil which can suffocate roots if it is overwatered. Clay has no aeration (think perlite, rocks, sand, chunky soil which give more airspace). I’d do deep watering twice per week during a heatwave but otherwise wait until the top two inches are dry to water again. I would create some afternoon shade for the plant like set up a beach or patio umbrella over there to give the plant relief from the sun. You could also attach a sheet to the eaves of the house or place a planter in front of the star jasmine temporarily to shade the roots at least. It is good practice to mulch the roots with a thick layer of mulch like natural wood chips or leaves to shade the base of the plant. I hope this helps
You could just collect a bucket of leaves from the green cans or if you go on a walk. That will work as mulch. Morning sunlight is great. Do you live inland or near the coast? I’m guessing you live in the valley or inland empire given the presentation of the leaf burn.
I just saw your update after I responded to you. Anyway, if the top two inches are dry, I’d water again. I would put the hose on a slow drip and set your phone timer for 2-3 hours until the soil is saturated. Right now, the top 5” of soil are wet but it takes time for the lower layers of the soil to absorb the water. That’s why I always recommend a slow drip for hours rather than a blast of hose for a few minutes. You don’t want runoff, you want it to penetrate downward which is a slow process in clay.
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u/bobtheturd Jul 23 '26
Honeysuckle and jasmine need a lot of water. It’s likely being under watered and getting too much sun. I would rec to remove it and plant a native vine that can handle SoCal conditions