Carolina Jessamine
By LYNN ARTZ, SANDY TEDDER and DAVID RODDENBERRY
The cheerful canary-yellow blooms of Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) signal that winter’s end is near. The fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers attract hummingbirds, large native bees, and butterflies. This twining evergreen vine grows 10-20 feet long and blooms best in full sun on arbors and fences. Otherwise, it will climb high into trees seeking sun or form a mounded groundcover of tangled stems. The brown fruit capsules feed warblers, grosbeaks, cardinals, mockingbirds, titmice, chickadees, and thrashers. This carefree vine is flammable, however, and should not be planted next to a house. Neither should it be planted near honeybee hives or near livestock as all parts are poisonous. Deer seem unaffected but typically avoid it. This lovely native vine is growing on several pavilion columns at Sopchoppy Depot Park.
