Carolina jessamine

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; flowering is heaviest in sun. Shelter from cold, drying winds.

Water

Water regularly during establishment, then during prolonged dry spells. Established plants tolerate some drought but flower and grow better with moderate moisture.

Soil

Moist but well-drained soil, preferably fertile and slightly acidic. Avoid persistently waterlogged ground.

Height

10-20 ft (3-6 m)

Spread

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m), wider if allowed to trail along the ground

Flowers

Fragrant, golden-yellow trumpet flowers in late winter to spring; timing depends on climate.

Foliage

Evergreen. Opposite, narrow, glossy green leaves; foliage may bronze or turn purplish in cold weather and can partly drop near the cold limit.

Growth

Moderate to fast once established

Care needed

Low

• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   2 ft (0.6 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (0.98 m)

3. After 2 years

   4 ft (1.4 m)

4. After 3 years

   6 ft (1.7 m)

5. After 5 years

   6 ft (1.8 m)

   full size

About 3 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Fast

• Provide a trellis, wires or an open fence; guide and tie young stems until they begin twining.
• Water deeply during the first growing season, allowing the soil surface to begin drying between waterings.
• Apply a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) organic mulch, keeping it clear of the stem bases.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak or the soil is poor; excess nitrogen encourages leaves rather than flowers.
• In cold districts, plant against a sheltered, sunny wall; most of Canada requires frost-free overwintering.

Pruning. Prune immediately after the main spring flowering, shortening long shoots and removing dead or tangled stems. Avoid routine autumn or winter pruning, which removes developing flower buds.

Late winter

Check supports and loose ties without cutting back shoots carrying flower buds.

Spring

Plant after severe frost risk has passed in cooler districts, and water thoroughly.

Late spring

After flowering, shorten wayward stems and thin congested growth.

Early summer

Guide new shoots onto supports and take softwood cuttings if desired.

Summer

Water during extended dry weather, especially for young or container-grown plants.

Autumn

Renew mulch and check that stems and supports are secure before winter winds.

• Train over a porch trellis or open fence for fragrant early-season flowers and year-round foliage.
• Grow against a sunny, sheltered wall to soften masonry without using a self-clinging climber.
• Combine with spring-flowering shrubs and bulbs for a yellow-and-white spring display.
• Use on a sturdy arbor in a southern-style garden, keeping it separate from edible climbers.

Garden styles it suits: Southern, Traditional, Cottage garden, Romantic rose garden, Coastal and Low-maintenance.

Plant it with: Camellias, Azaleas, Daffodils, Lenten roses, Virginia sweetspire and Dwarf yaupon holly.

Wildlife: Flowers attract bees, butterflies and, within its native range, hummingbirds. Its nectar can be toxic to some bees, including honeybees, so it should not be treated as an unqualified pollinator planting.

• Few flowers: move or train growth into more sun, avoid high-nitrogen feeding, and prune only after flowering.
• Winter leaf burn or stem dieback: provide shelter from cold winds and remove dead growth once spring growth reveals the damage.
• Root decline in wet soil: improve drainage or replant in a raised position; do not keep the root zone saturated.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides; remove small infestations by hand or use a horticultural oil labelled for the plant and pest.

Highly toxic to people, cats, dogs and horses if eaten. All parts, including leaves, stems, roots and flowers, contain poisonous alkaloids; nectar is also toxic. Poisoning can cause severe weakness, breathing failure and death. Keep away from grazing animals and places where children or pets may chew plants, and never use the flowers in food or drinks. Sap may irritate skin; wear gloves when pruning. Seek immediate medical or veterinary advice after suspected ingestion.

• Swamp jessamine (Gelsemium rankinii)

  Has very similar yellow trumpets, but the flowers lack the strong fragrance of Carolina jessamine; it commonly flowers again in autumn.

• Winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)

  Has yellow, usually unscented flowers on bare green stems and leaves divided into three leaflets; Carolina jessamine has simple evergreen leaves and twining stems.

• Star jasmine (Trachelospermum jasminoides)

  Has white, pinwheel-shaped flowers, broader leathery leaves and milky sap, rather than yellow trumpet flowers.

Gelsemium comes from an Italian word for jasmine, reflecting its fragrant flowers rather than a close relationship, while sempervirens means evergreen.

Propagation. Take softwood cuttings in early summer or semi-ripe cuttings later in summer, using gloves when handling cut stems. Layering a low stem is another straightforward method; seed propagation is possible but slower.

Accepted botanical name

Gelsemium sempervirens

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Louisiana, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest and Mexico Southeast.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.