Night-blooming jasmine

Cestrum nocturnum

Tropical American shrub with insignificant pale green-yellow tubular flowers that release one of the most powerful evening fragrances of any garden plant. The flowers close during daylight and open at dusk.

Hardiness ratings

Night-blooming jasmine hardiness across the four zone systems
SystemRatingTemperature rangeHow to read it
USDA hardiness zone Zone 9–11 −6.7 °C to 10 °C Plant tolerates down to this zone
RHS hardiness rating H2 1 °C to 5 °C Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance
Canadian plant hardiness zone Zone 9 −1 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone
Australian (ANBG) zone Zone 4–7 0 °C and warmer Plant tolerates down to this zone

Growing notes

  • Plant well away from bedroom windows — the powerful evening fragrance can become overwhelming and is reported to cause headaches in sensitive people
  • Flowers open at dusk and close at dawn — pollinated by moths
  • WARNING: All parts toxic — berries especially attractive to children, do not plant where ingestion is possible
  • Not a true jasmine (Jasminum) — Cestrum is in the nightshade family Solanaceae
  • Not reliably hardy outdoors in Canada — Canadian zone values shown represent the system maximum and do not imply garden cultivation north of the warmest coastal pockets.

Pet caution: Night-blooming jasmine is listed as potentially harmful to cats and/or dogs. Keep pets from grazing on it, and contact a vet if you suspect your animal has eaten some.

Categories

Related plants

Cross-check Night-blooming jasmine against your zones

Reference

Night-blooming jasmine on Wikipedia