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Carolina Jessamine

Gelsemium sempervirens

Found in a wide range of habitats, from swamp forests to dry uplands and thickets, also commonly planted as an ornamental. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

17
Modest

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

Profile 88%

Height
10–20 feet
Spread
20–30 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist

Space about 25 ft apart from its recorded spread. Enter your bed size for a count

Will it fit your yard?

Highly poisonous if eaten. All plant parts are poisonous if eaten. Keep away from children and pets; sap may irritate skin. Plant caution source

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Semi-evergreen or evergreen
Fruiting season
September to November

Not yet recorded · Bloom

Bloom: recorded only in the FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team) phone app (app page).

Recorded in 60 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.

Forest edges and thickets

Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields
Named place / source context. Shown: Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, Georgia and Tennessee; which part is not recorded, a neighboring state.Wooded scene looking out over partially open fields, Richard Schlecht, undated. Public domain. Source record.

All habitats

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in Florida. Shared habitat, not food. 105 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 6a–10b
Soil pH
Acidic to alkaline
Flower color
Yellow
Fruit begins
September
Fruit ends
November
Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Yellow Jessamine

Conservation status

Florida rankS5
Global rankG5
FL statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Sources