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Vine · Gelsemiaceae Draft — unreviewed

Carolina jessamine

Gelsemium sempervirens (L.) J.St.-Hil.

Also called yellow jessamine.

Fine-textured native evergreen vine covered in fragrant yellow trumpets in late winter and early spring. Covers fences and arbors.

Size over time

Typical landscape size 3–6 m (10–20 ft) tall and 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft) wide; fast growth, about 3 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.45) from the #3 install size.

0246mPlanting1.0 × 0.3 mYear 33.6 × 1.0 mYear 104.5 × 1.2 mMature4.5 × 1.2 m

Bloom

Yellow flowers, Feb–Apr (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).

Bloom calendar: months each plant is in bloom
PlantJFMAMJJASOND
Carolina jessamine : Feb–Apr

Design notes

  • All parts are toxic if eaten.
  • Prune right after flowering; cut back hard if the top gets heavy and bare below.

Regions

Native range: Southeastern U.S. from Virginia to Florida and Texas.

Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:

Southeast

Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.

Related plants

Crossvine
Bignonia capreolata · Vine · 9–15 m (30–49 ft)
Trumpet creeper
Campsis radicans · Vine · 9–12 m (30–39 ft)
Coral honeysuckle
Lonicera sempervirens · Vine · 3–6 m (10–20 ft)
Virginia creeper
Parthenocissus quinquefolia · Vine · 9–15 m (30–49 ft)
Purple passionflower
Passiflora incarnata · Vine · 3–7.5 m (10–25 ft)
Amethyst Falls American wisteria
Wisteria frutescens 'Amethyst Falls' · Vine · 4.5–9 m (15–30 ft)

Plan with Carolina jessamine

Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.

Start designing Try a sample garden