Is Yellow Jessamine Poisonous? Toxic to Humans, Dogs & Cats
Yes, yellow jessamine is poisonous. Every part of the plant contains neurotoxic alkaloids that can cause muscle paralysis and respiratory failure. This includes the flowers, leaves, stems, roots, seeds, and nectar. Dogs, cats, horses, and humans are all affected. If a child or pet has ingested any part of this plant, call poison control or a vet immediately. Do not wait for symptoms.
US Poison Control (humans): 1-800-222-1222 ASPCA Animal Poison Control: 888-426-4435 Pet Poison Helpline: 855-764-7661
Yes, Yellow Jessamine Is Poisonous
Yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is not a plant that causes a mild stomach ache. The primary toxins, gelsemine and sempervirine, interfere with the nervous system’s ability to control muscles, including the muscles that control breathing. For small animals, even a small exposure can be fatal.
What Is Yellow Jessamine?
Yellow jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) is a twining woody vine native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia south to Florida and west to Texas, and into Mexico and Central America. It is the state flower of South Carolina. The vine has glossy, lance-shaped evergreen leaves and clusters of bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers with five petals and a sweet fragrance, blooming in late winter to early spring.
Common names include Carolina jessamine, evening trumpetflower, and woodbine. It is not the same plant as jasmine (Jasminum species) or true honeysuckle (Lonicera species). The name “jessamine” is applied loosely to several unrelated plants. This article covers Gelsemium sempervirens specifically.
How Yellow Jessamine Is Confused with Honeysuckle
This is the most important safety warning on this page.
Yellow jessamine flowers look almost identical to honeysuckle flowers: tubular, yellow, and sweetly fragrant. They grow in a similar vine habit and bloom around the same time of year. Children and adults who grew up around honeysuckle sometimes suck nectar directly from the flowers, a harmless habit with true honeysuckle. With yellow jessamine, the nectar is toxic. Children have been poisoned by sucking nectar from yellow jessamine flowers, mistaking them for honeysuckle.
How to tell the two apart:
- Yellow jessamine flowers have a narrow, uniform tube. Honeysuckle flowers often have a wider tube and visible separate petals.
- In fruit stage, honeysuckle produces round berries (red, orange, or black). Yellow jessamine produces a dry, flat seed capsule.
- Yellow jessamine is an evergreen vine with glossy, paired leaves. Honeysuckle leaves are softer and less glossy.
If you are not certain which plant you have, treat it as toxic and do not allow children or pets near it.
What Makes Yellow Jessamine Toxic
The plant contains a family of indole alkaloids, primarily gelsemine and sempervirine. These alkaloids act on the central nervous system. In plain terms: they stop your muscles from working, including the muscles that move your lungs. Unlike cardiac poisonings (which kill by disrupting heart rhythm), gelsemium poisoning kills by stopping the ability to breathe. One clinically documented feature: victims often remain conscious as paralysis progresses. The alkaloids are present throughout the plant at approximately 0.5% concentration by weight.
Which Parts Are Poisonous
All parts of yellow jessamine are toxic. In approximate order of alkaloid concentration:
- Roots (most potent)
- Leaves and stems
- Flowers
- Nectar (especially relevant given the honeysuckle confusion)
- Seeds
- Sap (contact may irritate skin, but systemic poisoning from skin contact alone is unlikely; the risk is ingestion)
Symptoms of Yellow Jessamine Poisoning
In Humans
Symptoms typically begin within 30 minutes to a few hours of ingestion:
- Burning sensation in the throat and stomach
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness and headache
- Blurred vision, double vision, dilated pupils
- Progressive muscle weakness, difficulty walking
- Sweating, dry mouth, rapid heartbeat
- Convulsions
- Respiratory depression, coma, death by respiratory arrest
In Dogs and Cats
- Sudden muscle weakness or collapse
- Difficulty swallowing
- Labored or slowed breathing
- Low body temperature
- Vision disturbances
- Seizures
- Rapid progression to death in severe cases
In Horses and Livestock
Grazing animals may ingest yellow jessamine without recognizing it as dangerous. Historical reports document cattle and goat fatalities from this plant.
Is Yellow Jessamine Toxic to Dogs?
Yes. The ASPCA lists it as toxic and Pet Poison Helpline classifies severity as high. Symptoms include sudden weakness or collapse, difficulty swallowing, slowed breathing, low body temperature, and seizures, progressing rapidly to death.
In April 2025, a dog in Washington, DC died after ingesting a single flower from a yellow jessamine plant in a public park.
If your dog has eaten any part of yellow jessamine: Call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661. Go to the nearest emergency vet. Do not wait for symptoms. By the time muscle weakness or breathing difficulty is visible, the situation is already serious.
Is Yellow Jessamine Toxic to Cats?
Yes. Cats face the same neurotoxic risk as dogs, with identical symptoms and severity. Cats receive far less coverage in existing resources on this plant despite being equally at risk.
If your cat has ingested any part of yellow jessamine: Call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 immediately. Do not wait.
What to Do If a Person or Pet Ingests Yellow Jessamine
For humans: Call US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 immediately (available 24/7, free, confidential). Have a photo or sample of the plant ready if possible. If the person has difficulty breathing, is having seizures, or has lost consciousness, call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency room.
For pets: Call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at 888-426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at 855-764-7661 (both lines are 24/7; a consultation fee may apply). Go to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic. Do not wait for symptoms to develop.
For skin or eye contact: Rinse thoroughly with clean water. Flush eyes for 15 minutes if sap contact occurred. Contact Poison Control if any part of the plant was also ingested.
Is It Safe to Grow Yellow Jessamine?
Viewing and growing yellow jessamine does not pose a risk. The danger is ingestion. Casual contact, such as brushing against the vine during gardening, does not cause systemic poisoning. Sap may irritate sensitive or broken skin.
If you grow it in a yard or on a fence, keep it away from areas where children or pets have unsupervised access. Wear gloves when pruning. If you have young children, a small dog, or a free-roaming cat, consider replacing yellow jessamine with a non-toxic alternative such as trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens).
FAQ
Is yellow jessamine the same as jasmine? No. True jasmine belongs to the genus Jasminum and is unrelated. Yellow jessamine is Gelsemium sempervirens. The plants are different and so are the toxicity profiles.
Is Carolina jessamine the same as yellow jessamine? Yes. Carolina jessamine is another common name for Gelsemium sempervirens. The toxicity information in this article applies to both names.
My child touched yellow jessamine flowers. Is that dangerous? Touching the plant is not the same as ingesting it. If your child handled the flowers but did not chew or swallow anything, rinse their hands with soap and water. If there is any possibility they sucked on the flowers or swallowed nectar, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
Is there any part of yellow jessamine that is safe to eat? No. There is no safe part of this plant to eat. The roots, leaves, stems, flowers, nectar, and seeds all contain toxic alkaloids.