Carolina jessamine
Gelsemium sempervirens
USDA zones7 to 10
SunHandles full sun to partial shade
WaterHandles dry to moist soil
Size12 to 20 feet tall3 to 6 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Bloom season
- Spring, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
- Toxicity
- Toxic to pets
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is a vine for borders, privacy screens, containers, and pollinator gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 7, or down to 0°F (-18°C). This plant likes full sun to part shade and dry to moist soil of most types. The fragrant yellow flowers attract native bees, hummingbirds, and Spicebush Swallowtail Butterflies. All parts of the plant are poisonous, so plant it with care. It sits low on the menu for deer.
Pairs well with Cross vine, Oakleaf hydrangea, Autumn fern, and Mondo grass.
Native range
Southern United States, Mexico, and Guatemala.