About
Cestrum parqui is a medium-sized shrub that can be either deciduous or semi-evergreen, featuring lance-shaped leaves that can grow up to 12 cm long. The plant produces tubular flowers, measuring around 2.5 cm, that are yellow-green and emit a fragrance in the evening. Its fruit is a brownish, oval-shaped berry.
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
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, East-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H3
Plant details
- Plant type
- Conservatory Greenhouse, Shrubs
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- Patio and container plants, Mediterranean climate plants
- Native to
- S America
- Fragrance
- Flower
- 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
- Under glass grow in containers using peat-free, loam-based potting compost in full light with good ventilation and shade from hot sun. Water freely in summer and keep just moist in winter. Can be grown outdoors in a sheltered sunny site and well-drained soil
- Pruning
- Pruning group 6
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed in containers in a cold frame in spring or by softwood cuttings in summer
- Pest resistance
- Generally pest-free
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free