Know The Difference Between Honeysuckle and Yellow Jasmine

flowers
As a young child I would sometimes pick honeysuckle flowers, pinch off the stem end and suck out the sweet nectar. My parents showed me that trick – BUT they also made a big production of teaching me the difference between harmless honeysuckle and potentially deadly yellow jasmine.

Both flowers smell wonderful, although the scents are different. Both may be yellow (honeysuckle can be white, too). An adult should be able to tell the difference at a glance (although with some many “city people” moving to rural areas these days I wouldn’t bet on it). But how about a young child? People need to know the difference. If you aren’t sure leave it alone.

ALL parts of yellow jasmine are poisonous. Ingesting any part of it can make you extremely ill or even kill you. Even deer don’t eat it. Allergic reactions have been reported from simply handling it. Since the entire plant is poisonous, if you do handle it I suggest you wasn your hands well after.

Yellow jasmine is the state flower of South Carolina. It’s beautiful and has a wonderful smell but it’s best to enjoy it without touching. Enjoy it but stay safe.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.