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Gelsemiaceae
Evening Trumpet Flower
Gelsemium sempervirens
elegance and caution.
- Family
- Gelsemiaceae
- Genus
- Gelsemium
- Native to
- Southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- evergreen vine
- Height
- 3-6 m
- Sunlight
- full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- moist, well-drained, acidic
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 7-10
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- It is the state flower of South Carolina, where it blooms along roadsides and fence lines in early spring.
- All parts of the plant are highly toxic, containing gelsemine and other alkaloids that can be fatal if ingested.
- Despite its toxicity, it has been used in extremely dilute form in homeopathic medicine for anxiety and neuralgia.
- The fragrant yellow trumpet-shaped flowers are among the first to bloom in the American South, heralding spring.
- Bees that visit the flowers can produce toxic honey, a phenomenon known since colonial times in the Southeast.
Color meanings
0
elegance
1
caution
2
grace
3
hidden danger