Carolina jessamine
By Debbie Hopper Victoria County Master Gardener – Feb 18, 2022
Carolina jessamine – Contributed photo by Ken Popplewell, Dewberry Plantation
Close up photo of Carolina Jessamine – Contributed photo by Barb Henry/Victoria County Master Gardener
Carolina Jessamine – Contributed photo by Marti Sterne/Victoria County Master Gardener
Here in Texas, it is important to know why native plants play such a valuable role in our landscapes. As our population grows, land is developed for housing, subdivisions, roads and shopping centers. We see and feel the importance of water and climate with these developments. We are not the only ones who are affected by environmental changes. Wildlife are pushed to different areas and their food sources and habitats are destroyed.
The typical yard has a lawn, shrubs and flowers that always require water and sometimes fertilizer and insecticide. These chemicals can runoff into water wells and poison our environment and kill beneficial insects and animals.
The Carolina jessamine, Gelsemium sempervires, is also called Yellow Jessamine, Poor Man’s Rope and Evening Trumpet flower. It is a beautiful native vine found in the southeastern part of the United States, where there are mild winters and hot summers. It grows all the way north to Virginia, south to Florida, east to Arkansas, down through east Texas and south to Mexico and Guatemala.
The vine is an adaptive, woody perennial that grows in USDA zone 6-9. Its native habitat is dry to wet thickets. The leaves are waxy dark green. The yellow horn or trumpet like flowers grow 1 to 1 1/2 inches and are very fragrant. The vines tend to entwine themselves in large shrubs and trees.
In winter, the dark green leaves take on a slight yellow or purple cast. Carolina jessamine grows best in a rich fertile soil that drains well, but it is an adaptive plant. They actually prefer a soil that is slightly acidic. They need moderate water but are drought tolerant as well as cold hardy.
The vine can tolerate some partial shade, but blooms best in a sunny location. Depending where one lives, Carolina jessamine blooms in December and January through May.
Their stems can exceed 10 to 20 feet and have a spread of 4 to 15 feet. The vine can be cut back or pruned in the spring. A gardener can fertilize the plant two to three times during its growing season with rose food.
This vine has no serious disease or pests. However, all parts of the vine are poisonous and possibly lethal to humans, pets and livestock. If skin comes into contact with the sap of this plant, skin can become irritated.
Carolina jessamine attracts bees, hummingbirds and spicebush swallowtail butterflies. It may be toxic to bees if they consume too much and the honey could be toxic to humans if too much is consumed. Gardeners are advised to plant this vine with caution.
Vines are a great way to fit in color in a small space. This vine offers the gardener a visual beauty and a sweet fragrance. Carolina jessamine is a colorful vigorous grower and can be grown on a fence, arbor, trellis or pergola.
Migratory paths and habitats can be restored to create a safe haven for bees, butterflies, birds, hummingbirds, lizards and squirrels with the use of native plants. Sally Wasowski, co-author of “Native Texas Gardens,” said “A true native plant (tree, shrub, grass, wildflower, groundcover or vine) is one that has grown in a particular area without having been brought there by humans, never had its genetics tampered with by humans and can survive very nice without any help from us.”
As a bird and butterfly watcher, I have made it my goal to plant more native plants in my yard. This practice applies Wasowski’s recommendation for maximum garden beauty with minimum upkeep. Won’t you join me?
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County.