Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens)

Also known as: Carolina yellow jessamine

Quick Facts

• Type: vine
• Size: to 20 ft long
• Sun: full
• Water: moderate
• Soil: Sandy to loamy soils
• USDA zones: 8-10

Sweetly fragrant yellow trumpets cover the evergreen vine in late winter, a promise that spring is coming.

All parts are poisonous if eaten, so site it away from curious pets and livestock; otherwise carefree.

In the Landscape

A fragrant evergreen vine for trellises, arbors, and fences where its late-winter yellow trumpets can be enjoyed up close. Keep it away from vegetable gardens and pet areas.

Care & Propagation

Plant in spring in full sun to part shade. Prune after flowering to shape. Important: all parts of this plant are toxic if eaten — enjoy the fragrance and flowers, and teach kids and pets to look, not taste.

Take semi-hardwood cuttings in summer or layer stems in spring. Nursery plants establish faster than seed-grown ones.

Wildlife Value

One of the earliest nectar sources of the year for bees and the first hummingbirds. Note the toxicity is a plant defense — pollinators handle the flowers fine, but mammals should not eat any part.

🌱 Fun fact: Carolina jessamine is South Carolina's state flower, but it grows wild across Florida too. Every part is poisonous, yet it has been used in traditional practices for centuries — a beautiful reminder that 'natural' and 'safe' are not synonyms.

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🌴 In Florida

All parts are poisonous if eaten, so site it away from curious pets and livestock; otherwise carefree.

🌿 Keep exploring

More Florida natives worth meeting:

• American Wisteria (Wisteria frutescens)
• Atlantic Pigeonwings (Clitoria mariana)
• Beach Morning Glory (Ipomoea imperati)