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Botanical name: Gelsemium rankinii
An outstanding, vigorous variety producing a display of bright yellow blooms in late spring, repeating in fall; protect from winter winds; perfect for trellises and arbors, or cascading over walls.
Other names: Rankin’s Trumpetflower, Swamp Jasmine
| Hardiness zone | 7a |
|---|---|
| Flower color | yellow |
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | spreading |
| Mature height | 15 feet |
| Spread | 3 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | North American native |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Swamp Jessamine has clusters of lightly-scented yellow trumpet-shaped flowers with gold throats along the branches from late winter to mid spring. It has dark green foliage throughout the season. The pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.
Swamp Jessamine is a multi-stemmed deciduous woody vine with a twining and trailing habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
This woody vine will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Swamp Jessamine is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Hedges/Screening, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Swamp Jessamine will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. As a climbing vine, it tends to be leggy near the base and should be underplanted with low-growing facer plants. It should be planted near a fence, trellis or other landscape structure where it can be trained to grow upwards on it, or allowed to trail off a retaining wall or slope. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years.
This woody vine does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This species is native to parts of North America, and parts of it are known to be toxic to humans and animals, so care should be exercised in planting it around children and pets. It can be propagated by cuttings.
Swamp Jessamine makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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