A look at the Carolina Jessamine

Image by Vicki's Nature via Flickr

 
One trip to South Carolina during the late months of December through April, and you will notice a delicate yellow flower on a very vigorous vine, the sweet smelling wild Jessamine, South Carolina's own state flower. Whether it is clinging to a pine tree in the forest, or completely covering an old fence post, one thing is obvious, this plant is a symbol of perseverance.

Adopted officially as the South Carolina state flower by the General Assembly in 1924, the yellow Jessamine was found a deserving representative of the South Carolina landscape.
The vine sap, and nectar of this beautiful wild growing vine has toxins similar in molecular structure to strychnine related alkaloids and no part of the plant should be consumed. In spite of that, it is harvested for its perfume, which is quite difficult to reproduce otherwise, and some herbalists use the plant for ailments of varying descriptions.

Mocking birds love the heavily intertwined nature of the stems from this vine and set up nests in them regularly. It is a popular flower in gardens in the south east and make excellent fence covers, it will readily climb trellis's, arbors and walls. It can be an effective means for deterring deer as they will not consume the plant. When planted around fencing it will discourage deer from coming onto the property to consume vegetables and fruit.

A note from the author: I grew up picking, smelling and giving bouquets of these lovely flowers to my mother from out of the woods behind our home. Not once did I ever get any skin irritations, or suffer any ill effects from this plant. Therefore, I would not worry greatly about having this lovely sweet smelling plant in my own yard. With a little caution and common sense this can be a lovely addition to many landscapes.

Other articles by this author:

• Top 3 South Carolina home and living articles
• The Southern Magnolia 
• Timeless home design, the key to not becoming a trend 

The Knockout rose, a great choice for disease resistance

South Carolina has a long growing season, and Spring starts off with a burst of color in most landscapes. Cherry trees, Bradford Pears, Dogwoods, and Azaleas dominate most gardens in the south in  early Spring. There is one flower that is quite a challenge in most gardens, even in the south, and  that is roses. High temperatures, drought, and  humid nights, often prove to be the enemy when growing roses. Finding one that is a good fit for your yard is important. The Knockout rose may the one of the best to meet this challenge.

Knockout roses can be purchased from a variety of places, your local garden center, and bare root from reputable companies like Jackson and Perkins online. There are single blooming and double blooming varieties that will no doubt reward you with proper care. They typically grow fast, bloom heavy from Spring through late Summer and are disease resistant and pest tolerant. They do get aphids, but if they are healthy, are not affected by them like some more delicate variety of roses may be. Blasting aphids with a strong surge of water usually keeps them in check.

Knockout roses are great in areas where disease is prevalent,  especially to one of the worst culprits, blackspot. While no rose is entirely immune to disease,  however, Knockout roses seem to fair better than most. The key to helping any rose in its resistance to pests and disease is to ensure that they remain strong and healthy.

Knockout roses do well if planted in full sun, in the southern states, it is ok if they have some afternoon relief from the sun. 6 hours of full morning sun is ideal. Water roses on a regular basis, but to avoid disease problems, water by hose early in the day so that roses have time to dry. Roses watered in the evening stay damp overnight and this encourages disease coupled with warm night temperatures.

Knockout roses respond well to some shaping and pruning in the winter, removing dead growth and regularly dead heading spent blossoms will keep Knockouts looking their best. Slow release feeding, organic compost and fish meal worked into the base of the plant will yield beautiful strong plants. Liquid fertilizer that can be dispersed during watering will have promising results and help these fast growing heavy bloomers do their job. If you are planning on any one rose for your garden, Knock out rose will not disappoint you.

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