# yellow jessamine (*Gelsemium sempervirens*) Yellow jessamine is a beautiful climbing plant with bright yellow flowers. It grows in warm areas and can make gardens look cheerful and sunny! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Urban areas - **Also known as:** Carolina Jasmine, Yellow Jasmine ![yellow jessamine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Gelsemium_sempervirens3.jpg&width=800) Photo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gelsemium_sempervirens3.jpg) ## Appearance The yellow jessamine is a vigorous evergreen vine with glossy, dark green leaves. It produces abundant clusters of bright, fragrant, trumpet-shaped yellow flowers that stand out against its slender, reddish-brown stems. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Gentianales - **Family:** Gelsemiaceae - **Genus:** Gelsemium ## Interesting facts - Every part of this beautiful plant is highly poisonous, even its sap! - Its stunning yellow flowers are the official state flower of South Carolina! - The vine can climb over 20 feet high, creating impressive green walls! - Though toxic, it provides vital early nectar for bees and butterflies. ## Special abilities - **Rapid Climber:** Yellow jessamine can rapidly twine its slender stems around supports, helping it climb high for sunlight. - **Toxic Shield:** Yellow jessamine has potent toxic compounds in all its parts, helping it defend against hungry animals. - **Winter Nectar Bar:** Yellow jessamine can bloom in late winter, providing an early source of nectar for hungry pollinators. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 300-600 cm - **Spread:** 150-300 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-4 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late winter to early spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** High - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar from its early spring blooms - **Pollinates:** [Monarch butterfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/monarch-butterfly) (*Danaus plexippus*) — visits flowers for nectar during migration - **Depends on:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — cultivated widely in gardens for its ornamental value ## Traits - [Climbing/Vine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/climbing-vine): Climbing or vine plants are characterized by a growth habit that allows them to ascend upwards by twining, tendrils, or adhesive roots. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Domesticated](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/domesticated): Domesticated refers to species that have been selectively bred and tamed by humans for specific purposes. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate Do not eat any part of the yellow jessamine, as it can be harmful. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify yellow jessamine? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is yellow jessamine? 300-600 cm ### How wide does yellow jessamine spread? 150-300 cm ### How big are the flowers on yellow jessamine? 2-4 cm ### When does yellow jessamine bloom? Late winter to early spring ### Is yellow jessamine edible? No ### Is yellow jessamine toxic? High ### What is yellow jessamine's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Alabama City Wall Street Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alabama-city-wall-street-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Gadsden Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/gadsden-downtown-historic-district) — Alabama, US · Historic District - [Locust Grove State Historic Site](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/locust-grove-state-historic-site) — Louisiana, US · Nature Reserve - [Calhoun Downtown Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/calhoun-downtown-historic-district) — Georgia, US · Historic District - [Cheraw Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/cheraw-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District - [City of Camden Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/city-of-camden-historic-district) — South Carolina, US · Historic District [View all places to see yellow jessamine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellow-jessamine) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Yellow Jessamine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-jessamine)