Hello Gardeners, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Our state flower, Yellow Jessamine, uses its slender but strong twining black stems to catch hold of stems and branches as it climbs to the tops of pines and hardwoods before cascading downward with masses of golden yellow flowers. Without aerial roots or other attaching structures it can’t adhere to masonry, so in gardens it needs a wire fence or trellis to wind its way through for support.
Unlike more shrubby vines, yellow jessamine prefers to reach the top of a structure or uppermost branches of a tree before producing its floral displays which gracefully spill downward. Even without support, it will twist and turn and hold onto itself to make a stunning display in an open area of a large garden. Even in winter, the contrast between the dark, almost black vines and glossy linear evergreen leaves is a handsome feature.
