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Swamp Jessamine

Gelsemium rankinii

Found in blackwater river swamps, Atlantic white cedar swamps along streams. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), Florida edition What its natural habitat tells you

14
Modest

Native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 100%

Height
5–20 feet
Spread
3–20 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Usually moist

Space about 11.5 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Evergreen
Bloom
February to April
Fruiting season
September to October

Recorded in 20 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

1 of 2

Swamps

Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp
Regional / representative. Shown: Southern coastal swamps, Florida to Virginia; state not identified, a neighboring state.Loblolly bay in a coastal swamp, Marian Ellis Rowan, 1901. Public domain. Source record.

Streams, rivers and their banks

Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 121 animals.

All wildlife of Florida

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

0CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL
5BeesSoutheastern regional records

Southeastern regional records · Gelsemium

Individual names are not available yet.

Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
0Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Gelsemiaceae
Hardiness
Zones 7a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic
Flower color
Yellow
Fruit begins
September
Fruit ends
October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Florida rankS3S4
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

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How to check your spot

Sources