Carolina jessamine — with golden, sweetly scented, trumpet-shaped flowers on cascading foliage from late January to early April — is one of the most beautiful vines throughout the Southeast.
Its growth rate is moderate, reaching 20 feet or more when maintained as a vine. It can also be grown as a ground cover by cutting yearly in the late spring after flowering.
Carolina jessamine is a very adaptable vine that will grow in a variety of conditions. It tolerates full sun or partial shade. Flowering is more prolific, and foliage growth is denser in full sun.
For best results, plant it in rich, well-drained soil. Over-fertilization can reduce flowering, so fertilize — only while the plant is actively growing — with moderate amounts of a balanced fertilizer.
Insects or diseases rarely trouble Carolina jessamine; deer will not eat it.
However, all parts of this plant are toxic. The sap may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. People, especially children, can be poisoned by sucking the flowers' nectar.
Consider this when choosing a location for installing Carolina jessamine.
Sheila Dunning is a commercial horticulture agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.
PESTICIDE APPLICATOR TRAINING — INSIDE AND OUTSIDE: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.Feb. 1, Okaloosa County Extension Office, 3098 Airport Road, Crestview. Call 689-5850 to pre-register by Jan 28.
UPCOMING PROGRAM
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: DUNNING: This Northwest Florida flower is picturesque, but poisonous