Carolina Jessamine
By Jane Iwan
T
he state flower of South Carolina—Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium
sempervirens)—is easily identified by its fragrant clusters of yellow,
trumpet-shaped flowers. Some people associate Confederate
jasmine—a vine with creamy-white blossoms and a sweet, pungent
fragrance with Carolina jessamine—but the two are not related. In fact,
Confederate jasmine is native to China and neither Carolina jessamine nor
Confederate jasmine are true jasmines.
Our state flower is a twining evergreen that can grow 10–20 feet in length and
blooms from February to April. If left untended it will climb trees, trail over fences
or create a mound of tangled stems. It is easy to spot jessamine’s bursts of color
draped over structures in abandoned fields or perched in the canopies of pine trees.
This versatile plant can also be grown as a ground cover. Trim it each year
after the flowers have stopped blooming and it will spread like a carpet over the
ground. It also works well on arbors and trellises. Although the vine prefers full
sun or partial shade, the roots require shady, cooler conditions. Older vines that
become top heavy can be pruned back to a few feet above ground level. Carolina
jessamine can be easily propagated by air layering or stem cuttings taken from new
spring growth. Home gardeners might prefer the double-flowered variety Pride of
Augusta (also known as Plena) because it has a longer blooming season.
Pests rarely attack Carolina jessamine because of its unique defense system.
Deer avoid contact with it, but the flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies.
Gelsemine, a toxic alkaloid, is part of jessamine’s genetic code. In much earlier
times it was used medically to treat measles, tonsillitis, headaches and muscular
rheumatism. The nectar is toxic to honeybees but, oddly enough, is thought to
be beneficial to bumblebees. Gelsemine suppresses parasites that develop in the
digestive tracts of insects. These parasites—Crithidia—may be partially responsible
for the declining wild bee population.
Jessamine tolerates frost and is resistant to disease and insect problems but
gardeners need to be careful. As with many of nature’s beautiful creations, there is
a downside. Because all parts of the plant contain toxic alkaloids, the sap can be a
skin irritant and the plant can be poisonous if ingested. The toxin can be absorbed
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