Carolina Jessamine

Gelsemium sempervirens

Carolina jessamine blooms in late winter to early spring when almost nothing else does. and when it does, the show is unmistakable. Trumpet-shaped yellow flowers cover the entire vine in a wave of color that arrives before the forsythia, often while frost is still possible. The scent is soft, sweet, and slightly honeyed. Open a window on a warm February afternoon and it drifts in. Semi-evergreen in zone 7 and warmer, the glossy dark foliage holds through mild winters and gives the vine year-round structure. It climbs by twining, so fences, trellises, and railings suit it well. Early hummingbirds and native bees find the flowers before most other plants have opened. A reliable, low-drama vine that earns its place on any structure it touches.