Swamp jessamine

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Clemson Extension and Making It Grow. Swamp jessamine, Gelsemium rankinii, is also a native yellow jessamine, just a different species from the more prominent Gelsemium sempervirens, sempervirens meaning evergreen; swamp jessamine is evergreen, too. In nature, swamp jessamine grows in sunnier spot alongside rivers and in flooded wetlands. If you have a frequently wet space in your yard you can plant it there with the added bonus of it’s being able to survive drier times once it’s well established. It isn’t fragrant, but to tell the truth, I’ve never paid much attention to the fragrance of Gelsemium sempervirens, our regular yellow jessamine. Swamp jessamine blooms in both the spring and again in the fall, you might even get a few flowers during a warm spell in winter. Don’t forget both are extremely toxic, except to native insects.