Cestrum nocturnum
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| Cestrum nocturnum L. |
Cestrum nocturnum is a species of Cestrum, native to Mexico, Central America,India and Cuba. Common names include Night-blooming Cestrum, Lady of the Night, Queen of the Night, Night-blooming jessamine, and Night-blooming Jasmine.
It is an evergreen shrub growing to 4 m tall. The leaves are simple, narrow lanceolate, 6-20 cm long and 2-4.5 cm broad, smooth and glossy, with an entire margin. The flowers are greenish-white, with a slender tubular corolla 2-2.5 cm long with five acute lobes, 10-13 mm diameter when open at night; they are produced in cymose inflorescences, and are strongly scented. The scent is often released at night. The fruit is a poisonous white berry.
[edit] Cultivation and uses
Cestrum nocturnum is grown in subtropical regions as an ornamental plant for its strongly-scented flowers. It grows best in average to moist soil that is light and sandy, with a neutral pH of 6.6 to 7.5, and is hardy to hardiness zone 10a.
All parts of the plant are highly poisonous.
It is widely naturalised in tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world, including Australia, southern China and the southernmost United States.
[edit] Gallery
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[edit] References
- Huxley, A., ed. (1990). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
- Germplasm Resources Information Network: Cestrum nocturnum
- Flora of China: Cestrum nocturnum in China
- Poisons Information Centre (Queensland): Cestrum nocturnum
- USDA Plants Profile: Cestrum nocturnum
