April Plant Spotlight: Carolina Jessamine

One of the hardiest of native vines, Carolina jessamine is evergreen and seems to do well in almost any soil type, withstanding drought and deluge. It is my go-to vine for this reason. When not in bloom, it leaves and twines elegantly over an arbor, arch, or small fence.

Spring is alive with yellow blooms everywhere this time of year. The butterweed (Packera glabella) takes care of the forest and swamp floor. The jessamine claims the branches and draws our eye to the heavens. You may think you are seeing yellow blooming trees, but in fact it's jessamine crawling across the canopies. My favorite drive down Old Tunica Road (and most other country roads in this area) is painted with yellow blooms. This plant is bizarrely prevalent in the wild, yet composes itself well in the residential yard.

The best part is that this superstar native is available in almost every run-of-the mill garden center—not something you can say everyday about a native weed.

[Read Jess Cole's March Plant Spotlight on Wild Azaleas, here.]