How to Care for Carolina Jasmine

Carolina jasmine, or jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), is a climbing vine that reaches 15 to 20 feet. The name "jessamine" is more accurate as the vine is not a true jasmine. It blooms in fragrant bright yellow flowers from mid-spring to midsummer. It is a strong, aggressive vine, so supply it with a sturdy trellis, pergola or other support structure. It can also be grown as ground cover. Carolina jasmine, a U.S. native plant, is hardy from zones 7a to 9b on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

10-10-10 fertilizer
Pruning shears or lawn mower

Instructions

- 1
  Grow Carolina jasmine in a sunny spot if you want it to remain compact. Grown in shade, it climbs and produces fewer flowers.
- 2
  Provide the vine with consistently moist soil; don't allow it to dry but don't keep it soggy either.
- 3
  Fertilize the Carolina jasmine once a month from spring, just prior to new growth, to August. Use a 10-10-10 fertilizer, at the rate suggested by the manufacturer.
- 4
  Prune the vine after it finishes flowering. Cut out dead and broken branches and shape it to your taste. You can safely cut off up to one-third of its growth. If you are growing the Carolina jasmine as a ground cover, run the lawn mower over it every other year. This will prompt it to grow new stems and form a denser mat.

How to Care for Allamanda Cathartica

Creeping Jenny and Southern Blight

Groundcovers & Vines