Cestrum diurnum
Cestrum diurnum
Safety & Hazards
The fruits are poisonous, affecting the nervous system of humans and other mammals[1]. The leaves contain a calcinogenic glycoside called 1,25- dihydroxycholecalciferol that leads to a vitamin D toxicity that results in elevated serum calcium and deposition of calcium in soft tissues. Around 15 - 30% of the leaves in an animal’s diet is sufficient to cause symptoms[2]
Cultivation Details
Cestrum diurnum will grow in areas receiving from about 800 - 3,000mm of annual precipitation, but it most aggressively colonizes areas that receive from about 1,400 - 2,400mm[2]. The plant requires a sunny position - it is intolerant of much shade and generally dies out if overtopped by trees[2]. It tolerates soils of all textures, apparently from all parent materials, but is most common in limestone areas. It does not prosper on exposed subsoil nor will it grow on swampy ground. The plant is salt tolerant if not exposed to heavy salt spray or overwash from storms[2] Often grown as an ornamental, especially in the Americas, the plant has escaped from cultivation in at least Florida, southern Texas, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa[2]. The plant is an opportunist species that invades disturbed areas and, being shade-intolerant, quickly completes its life cycle ahead of any encroaching forest. is particularly associated with pasture fencerows because its seeds are deposited there by birds[2]. The plant can flower and produce fruit all year round[2]. The flowers have a pleasant, sweet fragrance with a scent somewhat like chocolate[1, 2]. Fairly fast-growing when young, though plants are generally short-lived, usually dying after about 5 - 20 years[2].
Propagation
Seed - when sown fresh, the seed will usually germinate within 7 - 30 days[2]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cestrum+diurnum>
Pollinators
Lepidoptera
References
- [1]Flowers of India — http://www.flowersofindia.net/ ↩︎A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
- [2]Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its Territories: Thamnic Descriptions — Francis J.K. (Editor) · USDA; Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestr · 2000 · http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf/wildland_shrubs.htm ↩︎An excellent series of papers, in PDF format, from various authors giving quite detailed information on a range of shrubs growing in the United States and its Territories. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
- [3]Plants of Guam — Moore P.H. & McMakin P. · University of Guam. · 1979 · http://university.uog.edu/cals/people/POG/scipn.htm ↩︎Brief details, usually with a photo, of plants native to the island of Guam, often together with some information on their uses. An online version is available.