Gelsemium sempervirens 'Margarita' (Carolina jessamine)

'Margarita' is a cold-hardy cultivar of Carolina jessamine. It produces extra-large yellow flowers in abundance and has shiny evergreen foliage. Its fragrant but brief burst of blooms in March is a symbol of winter's end. Can grow as both a sprawling vine in containers and on arbors or as a crawling, bushy groundcover. Can grow to 10-20' high with suitable climbing support in trees. At Adkins Arboretum, you can find Carolina jessamine growing up the arbor trellis at Emily's Play Garden. Humans and livestock should not eat any part of this plant, but the flowers are attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies, and the evergreen leaves provide good cover for birds in winter. Very deer resistant.

Carolina jessamine is native to parts of southeastern U.S., where it is frequently found in abandoned fields and climbing high into the canopies of pine forests. Flowers attract native bees, hummingbirds, and spicebush swallowtail butterflies. 

Photo by Kellen McCluskey