This monotypic genus of southeastern states has a northern limit just north of the Ohio Rv., where it occurs on warmer slopes in s. Ohio and sw. W.Va. It has not yet been recorded in most adjacent Ky. counties, where north and east aspects prevail along the major river valleys, but it is abundant along ravines further south in the Bluegrass region. Bignonia is the almost only evergeen woody vine that is native to Ky. (see also Smilax bona-nox). Its showy yellowish flowers with red centers attract hummingbirds when they first arrive in central Ky. during late Apr and early May; see also Aquilegia canadensis (Bertin 2012), Flowering as early as 17-19 Apr has been previously observed on the Coastal Plain, and even in FAYE during 2024 (a local record). The plant is often preferred browse in the winter for mammalian herbivores, especially rabbits (Terrel 1972, Flower & Kissell 2007). It is the only plant species outside of Apocynaceae known to produce the indole alkaloid reserpine, which has had much medicinal use in reducing high blood pressure and related problems (Clark & Lund 2012). It has been suggested that this species is the basis for naming "Jessamine" County, where some local history indicates that the county was named after a common flower along Jessamine Creek, perhaps confused with the name "jasmin" (as used for Gelsemium further south). However, a more favored hypothesis is that this county was named after Jessamine, a lost daughter of the early surveyor James Douglas (1740-1816; kyatlas.com).