Scientific: Gelsemium sempervirens
Pronounciation: Gel-SIM-ee-um sim-per-VIE-rens
Hardiness zones:
Sunset 4-24
USDA 6-11
Landscape Use: Wall covering, trellis, screen, accent for oasis and mesic landscape design themes.
Form & Character: Twining, sprawling, wirey, petite, informal.
Growth Habit: Evergreen, semi-woody, broadleaf perennial vine, moderate trailing growth to 20 to 50 feet.
Foliage/Texture: Opposite, evergreen, lanceolate leaves, 2- to 3-inches long and 1/2-inch wide, lustrous dark green in color; medium fine texture.
Flowers & Fruits: Small, yellow tubular flowers to 2-inches long; fruits are 1-inch long, flattened capsules, inconspicuous.
Seasonal Color: Yellow flowers during early spring.
Temperature: Surprisingly tolerant of Phoenix heat, cold hardy to 10oF
Light: Full sun, but no western exposures.
Soil: Tolerant
Watering: Need modest amounts of supplemental irrigation in Phoenix, especially during summer.
Pruning: Little to none if planted with enought space to sprawl and climb.
Propagation: Cutting
Disease and Pests: None
Additional comments: Carolina jessamine is seldom found in Phoenix landscapes or in local Arizona plant nurseries, though it is a very hardy vine for southwest landscape gardens. It performs well especially in higher elevation Arizona landscapes (excluding Flagstaff) such as those in the towns and cities of Tucson, Safford, Cottonwood, Prescott, Payson, Kingman, and Sierra Vista. Carolina jessamine is the state flower of South Carolina.
Nope, you ain't eatin' this plant: All parts of this vine contain the poisonious strychnine-related alkaloids, gelsemine and gelseminine, and should not be eaten. All plant parts are toxic. The milky sap can cause skin irritation. The flower nectar is also toxic to honeybees, causes bee brood death, and has even killed small children who suck the flower nectar after mistaking yellow jessamine for honeysuckle (from the genus Lonicera).
