What Is Yellow Jasmine?

People who are looking for a bright flower that is easy to grow may want to consider yellow jasmine. This vine is known for its bright yellow flowers which appear in mid-spring. It thrives in a variety of soils and can tolerate full sun or partial shade. Although once used as a medicinal plant, the practice has long been abandoned because parts of this plant can be poisonous to humans. It is sometimes referred to as the Carolina jasmine, jessamine, or Gelsemium sempervirens.

Yellow jasmine is a creeping vine which can grow as long as 20 feet (7.6 m). It can be trained to grow along the side of walls or fences, or the vines may be allowed to trail from a hanging basket. The strands may need to be cut back from time to time in order to keep them from becoming unruly.

Jessamine flowers are typically very small, measuring around two to three inches (5.08 to 7.24 cm) in diameter. Each blossom contains five vivid yellow petals. The center is round and dark yellow or yellowish-brown in color. Blooms may appear singly or in clusters of two to three flowers.

The leaves of a yellow jasmine are small, pointed, and appear in pairs along the strands just below the blossoms. They are medium to dark green in color. Since the Carolina jasmine is an evergreen species, the leaves do not fall off in winter even though the plant is not flowering at that time.

People can often successfully grow yellow jasmine in a variety of soils ranging from mildly alkaline to slightly acidic. Although this species prefers full sunlight, it often does well when placed in partial shade. It needs a moderate amount of water, and should not be allowed to get too dry because the vine may wither. Likewise, too much water could promote disease, thereby affecting the health of this flower.

Yellow jasmine was once hailed as a medicinal plant, and used to treat headaches, insomnia, and other conditions. This practice has long been abandoned because it has been discovered that parts of the vine are actually poisonous when ingested. People who are growing this plant should take care to keep it away from pets and children so they will not accidentally consume this plant. Although domestic animals should not eat jessamine, it is not harmful to deer and may in fact attract these creatures. As a result, this flowering vine should be located away from herbs, vegetables, or shrubs that a homeowner wishes to protect from deer.