Sometimes in gardening and landscaping around Cary, just to taste success, you have to go with something that works, a plant that is a slam-dunk survivor. Something to make you know you can grow stuff.
At my mailbox, that plant is Carolina Jessamine. I tried a couple of other things, and no luck.
My mailbox gets full North Carolina sun, and in the summer, that is from aout 8:00AM to 3:00 PM. And it is in hardpan, beside the curb. Definitely a hostile work environment for plantings. I have seen hollies, junipers, and firepower nandina give it up rather than grow.
So a few years ago, I had this scrawny, near dead Carolina Jessamine vine in the back yard. It was suffering with too much shade and a little dampness. And after 3 or 4 years, it was doing nothing. I had seen them in full bloom, and knew this little guy was headed the wrong way.
I lifted it and put it by my mailbox post, with a couple pieces of twine for climbing.
Hosed it down and walked away from it.
You've heard that plants will "Sleep, Creep, and Leap," in Years 1, 2, and 3?
We accelerated that a little. It was more like "Sleep, Creep, and Leap," in Months 1, 2, and 3.
I could not believe it. I needed a jackhammer to find a hole for the tiny root ball, and had to handle the plant gingerly, it was so scrawny.
And it went nutso on me. It will put out three foot tentacles into the air in no time.
My wife thinks it is the Caroline Jessamine version of the Hogwarts Whomping Willow. It intimidates her when she goes to the mailbox. Unfortunately, it does not have that effect on the US Postal Bill Delivery System. My wife makes me take an axe to it every few weeks to keep it in check. Sort of.
That thing is surely bulletproof. It will rise after Armageddon with the cockroaches and termites.
We think it is holding the old mailbox post up at this point.
Poisonous? I guess. But it sure does provide hundreds of fragrant yellow blossoms in March.
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