Want the feeling of summer only a bright pop of yellow can afford? Gelsemium sempervirens, commonly called Carolina Jasmine, is an attractive,
semi-evergreen vine that tends to remain bushy and compact when grown in
bright sun. However, when
shaded, Carolina Jasmine will
climb beyond heights of 20 feet right up and over adjacent shrubs and trees.
Carolina Jasmine is a
twining vine that uses her thin stems to grow up trees or when given other suitable climbing support. Over the course of a season or two, Carolina Jasmine can rapidly cover arbors, tree trunks, trellises, topiaries, and the like making her an ideal selection for an empty canvas that needs quick-filling.
As far as vines go, Carolina Jasmine is well-behaved and can be used on decks, porches, trellises, and near patios and entryways. She'll grow well in containers or as a ground cover along steep
slopes, making her a perfect candidate for
erosion control and low-maintenance landscapes.
Lush
lanceolate leaves (1 to 4 inches long) in emerald hues of green make her a feast for the eyes.
Lemony-yellow, deliciously
fragrant, 2 inch
tubular flowers cover this plant in clusters throughout spring and persist (though less profusely) through fall.
It is adaptable to most
soil conditions and
deer tend to avoid it. It is tolerant of
drought, heat and humidity, pollution,
rabbits,
seashores and
slopes; frost is acceptable too, but persistent freezing is fatal. It needs moisture to look its best.
Though you will note Carolina Jasmine's unrivaled beauty and hardiness as a perennial comes with a toxic caveat, she is still highly sought after, and when placed safely, can offer years of breathtaking beauty to any garden.
Things To Note This is an evergreen native to designated zones.
WARNING: TOXIC - Ingesting these leaves or flowers can be lethal! Do not plant where children might pick the flowers. All parts of this plant contain the toxic strychnine-related alkaloids 'gelsemine' and 'gelseminine' and should not be consumed. The sap may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. Children, mistaking this flower for honeysuckle, have been poisoned by sucking its nectar.
Interesting Facts She is native to warm, temperate and tropical America (from Guatemala to the southeastern United States).
Yellow Jessamine is South Carolina's state flower.
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