A mature Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) growing in a residential garden bed

In the landscape

Specimen · Naturalized · Vertical · Woodland · Butterfly · Native · Pollinator · Winter

Data sources

Missouri Botanical Garden, NC State Extension

Carolina Jessamine

Gelsemium sempervirens · Vine

Carolina Jessamine is a moderate-growing vine, hardy in USDA zones 7-10, that matures to about 12–20 ft × 3–6 ft. It does best in full sun with medium water needs in well-drained, moist and occasionally-dry soil. Expect yellow blooms in winter and spring. It attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds and stands up well to deer and salt.

USDA zones: 7-10
Sun: Full sun
Water: Medium
Mature size: 12–20 ft × 3–6 ft
Growth rate: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Soil: Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally-dry
Bloom color: Yellow
Bloom season: Winter, Spring
Attracts: Bees, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Pollinators, Small mammals
Tough against: Deer, Salt
Toxic to: People
Native to: Southern United States, Mexico, Guatemala

Will it survive your winters?

We score Carolina Jessamine’s freeze-trouble range against the real coldest nights your area has recorded.

Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.

More plants for your zone: Zone 7 · Zone 8 · Zone 9 · Zone 10