About
Cestrum elegans is a vigorous, tender evergreen shrub that can reach heights of up to 3 meters. It features drooping branches adorned with oval, green leaves that can grow as long as 10 centimeters. From summer through autumn, the plant produces clusters of small trumpet-shaped flowers in red, purple, or pink. After flowering, it bears red-purple berries.
About the genus
Cestrum consists of shrubs or climbing plants that can scramble as they grow. The leaves are simple and remain green year-round. Flowers, which are either tubular or shaped like salvers, appear in clusters at the ends of branches and in the leaf axils, eventually giving way to red or black berries.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Loam, Sand, Chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained, Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs
- Habit
- Pendulous weeping, Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 2.5-4 metres
- Spread
- 2.5-4 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Coastal, Sub-tropical, Patio and container plants
- Native to
- Mexico
- Toxicity
- Harmful of eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling Pets (dogs): Harmful if eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in well-drained, rich soil in sun or partial shade. In containers in frost-free greenhouse or conservatory use a peat-free John Innes No 3, and place in good light, but with shade from direct sun, with good ventilation
- Pruning
- Pruning group 9; Tip prune young plants to encourage bushiness. Can be wall-trained To thin, remove stems that are two or three years old, from the base. If all top growth is killed by frosts, cut back to ground level to encourage new growth from the roots
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed in spring at 13-18°C, or propagate by softwood or semi-ripe cuttings in summer
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free