Cestrum nocturnumNight Blooming Jasmine

By day the Cestrum nocturnum is an unremarkable green shrub. After dusk its slender greenish-white tubular flowers open and release a perfume strong enough to carry a hundred metres on still evening air, which is the entire reason the Night Blooming Jasmine is planted at all.

Site it where people gather in the evening, along terraces, beside courtyards and near open windows, and give it room, because the scent is powerful at close quarters.

Specifications

• Height2 to 4 metres
• Width1.5 to 3 metres
• Native toThe West Indies and Central America
• FoliageLance-shaped, glossy mid-green leaves on arching stems; evergreen in frost-free conditions
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilPrefers fertile, well-drained soils and adapts to a range of conditions
• LightFull sun to partial shade
• WaterModerate; regular through the warm months
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions

Additional Features

• FlowersSlender greenish-white tubular flowers that open at dusk and carry a powerful sweet perfume
• UsesIdeal for terrace and courtyard planting, evening gardens, and informal boundary screening
• SpacingPlant 1.5 to 2 metres apart for a screen
• Low MaintenancePrune hard after each flush to keep the habit dense and the flowering close to the eye
• Pest ResistanceGenerally trouble-free with basic care
• Seasonal AppealFlowers repeatedly through the warm months rather than in a single burst
• ToxicityBerries and foliage are toxic if eaten; site away from unsupervised play areas

Night Blooming Jasmine is planted for one hour of the day, and it repays the decision every evening of the warm season.