Yellow Jessamine

Dr. Gary Bachman: Flowering vines as a group of plants don't get a lot of attention from many gardeners. Today on Southern Gardening.

Announcer: Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Dr. Gary Bachman: Sure, we love them in bloom, but then they fade into the background. Two of my favorites are yellow jasmine and confederate jasmine. I like these vines because their beautiful flowering does not compete with each other. The yellow jasmine is one of the very first bloomers in early spring and hence long finished while the confederate jasmine is a middle of spring bloomer. Today, let's take a look at yellow jasmine. Also known as yellow jessamine, it adds one of the first touches of color after the winter season and in my opinion is a good predictor of spring's arrival. This plan is native all over the Southeastern United States in hardiness zones seven to ten. Botanically speaking, yellow jasmine is gelsemium sempervirens and is not a true jasmine.

Despite what is inferred by the common name. The bright, clear yellow flowers are displayed in clusters and it's easily seen where the common name comes from. The individual flowers are funnel shaped and had the potential to be more than one inch in length and diameter. The evergreen foliage is narrow and oblong shaped in a dark, glossy green. Each of the leaves ends with a slender pointed tip. The leaves are paired opposite each other on brownish sienna stems. It can be trained to form an evergreen, dense and compact climber for a sunny trellis. This is perfect for bringing the beautiful flowers up to eye level for a closer examination. I'm horticulturist Gary Bachman for Southern Gardening.

Announcer: Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.