Gelsemium rankinii

Common Names

Rankin's Trumpetflower, Swamp Jessamine, Swamp Jasmine

Summary

Gelsemium rankinii, Swamp Jasmine, is a twining evergreen woody vine native to the southeastern United States, it climbs on trellises, arbors, or fences and typically reaches about 10–20 feet in height and 10–20 feet in width, distinctive features include bright yellow trumpet-shaped flowers with gold throats that bloom in spring and fall, paired with glossy green leaves, making it a vigorous climber suitable for privacy screens or wall coverings and attractive to wildlife such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, for cultivation it favors full sun to partial shade and average to moist, well-drained soil that stays rich and acidic, thriving in wet swampy sites and tolerating urban conditions, it can be grown on a support or trained along a fence and should be pruned after flowering to manage size, propagation is by seed or cuttings, hardiness generally spans USDA zones 7–9, uses include privacy screens, lattice or walls, and wildlife gardens, caution is advised since all parts are poisonous if ingested

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

120-240 inches

Spread

3-20 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 7-9

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally Full Sun to Partial Shade.

Soil Type

Moist, slightly acidic, organic-rich, well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Moist, well-drained soil

Soil pH

Gelsemium rankinii has no ideal soil pH; tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Spring and Fall

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Fall.

Propagation Methods

Seeds, hardwood cuttings, semi-hardwood cuttings

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, other pollinators, and songbirds