Birds and butterflies love this plant. However it is an invasive species of such concern that the sale and planting of it is prohibited a...Read Morenywhere in Miami-Dade County.
The plant likes a lot of sun and is fine with some shade and has a mild fragrance that all butterflies seem to love. While taking this p...Read Morehoto a swarm of monarchs, some whites and blue butterflies were circling around these plants. Fascinating to watch but difficult to capture on camera!
A great plant for your butterfly or moonlight garden. It is known as 'din ka raja' in India--King of the Day, and complements the Queen of the Night (Cestrum Nocturnum--'raat ki rani'). Planted near each other, the energies of these two plants help each other to grow and bloom wonderfully well. New Delhi's climate seems to have changed over the past three years coming closer to zone 10b rather than 10a. All flowering plants including trees are flowering about 3 weeks to one month earlier than normal here since last year.
Chichester, NH (Zone 5b) | October 2007 | positive
I bought this plant from Top Tropicals, their website doesn't say it's poisonous, I should've looked here first! I have little kids so re...Read Moreally didn't want this plant around after I received it and read that infact it was poisonous, but I said I'd put it out of reach and keep and eye on it, if it was outstanding when it flowered and really did smell like chocolate I'd keep it. It flowered the other day and I must say, if I had no knowledge of it smelling like chocolate, I would not have guessed it, I guess it does very faintly if you close your eyes and really imagine it. I personally am a little disappointed and was hoping for more of a richer smell. It is very fussy with wanting water, I pretty much have to water it every day here in Florida 9b, it is in a small pot so maybe that contributes to the dryness. It's on my to go list right now. I guess everyone has their own personal taste in smells....It's not a bad smell but not even close to all the other pretty addictive flowers ie. Jasmines, Stephanotis', roses I have.
Update May2008: after repotting, it grew quickly, it's not as fussy with wanting water anymore. It's starting to grow on me.
After three years in a one gallon pot 18" tall mine bloomed. The scent is like fine chocolate cocoa, delicate but distinct. It has dozens...Read More of tiny white tube flowers and the smell has become one of my new favorites. It for sure, will not escape here in Long Island. It is too bad it is invasive, but for pot culture in a colder climate I would recommend this one. Most of all anyone looking for a chocolate smell try this plant! Mine has hated to be to dry, the leaves will droop and dry up pretty fast then drop. It has always recovered and looked better than before. Tough, maintainable, chocolate smelling numerous white flowers, what a plant!
I have not grown this plant so I am unable to rate it other than give it a neutral rating. Other common names for this plant include will...Read Moreow jasmine, wild jasmine, hierba santa, white day-blooming cestrum and white chocolate jasmine. It is an evergreen shrub or small tree that has, having escaped cultivation, become widely distributed and naturalized in Florida, Texas and California and grows in Hawaii after being introduced from the West Indies. In Texas, its natural habitat is in the Edwards Plateau region. It is considered a “serious threat” to natural areas in south Florida and can form dense thickets. It is most commonly found in dry soils, but benefits from even moisture. Although it will take full sun, it grows best in part shade. It is supposed to be hardy to Zone 8.
Day jasmine has an upright habit attaining a height of between 5 to 10 feet tall (in Florida, some are 16 feet tall) and 2 to 3 feet wide. The leaves are dark green and glossy. One inch, tubular, white, fragrant blooms appear in clusters in the summer. The bloom petals are bent backwards. The blooms are mildly fragrant during the day and the fragrance intensifies in the late evening and after dark. The blooms are followed by 1/4 inch green fruit which turn a glossy black or eggplant purple. The fruits are poisonous (affect the nervous system) to humans and other mammals.
Cattle or horses eating day jasmine absorb excessive amounts of calcium which leads to a high calcium concentration in the blood and tissue calcinosis. If the animals eat the plants for lomg periods, calcification of the elastic tissues of the arteries, tendons and ligaments occurs. Due to the high blood calcium concentration and the resultant inhibition of normal bone resorption excessive bone formation occurs. With horses, plant-induced calcinosis causes chronic weight loss despite normal appetite along with a generalized stiffness. This leads to severe lameness and prolonged periods of lying down. Unfortunately, recovery from plant-induced severe calcinosis rarely happens; although, recovery is likely for those horses that are not severely affected if they are denied further access to the plants and are given a good diet. Be caredul to not place cattle or horses in pastures or pens wwhere they are able to eat any of the Cestrum species.
Oklahoma City, OK (Zone 7a) | August 2002 | neutral
Some other names for this plant are: China inkberry, day cestrum and China berry. It is most commonly found in mMoist and wet forests a...Read Morend open areas. The fruit of this plant is a black berry and are spread by birds, thus propagating the plant.
Birds and butterflies love this plant. However it is an invasive species of such concern that the sale and planting of it is prohibited a...Read More
The plant likes a lot of sun and is fine with some shade and has a mild fragrance that all butterflies seem to love. While taking this p...Read More
I bought this plant from Top Tropicals, their website doesn't say it's poisonous, I should've looked here first! I have little kids so re...Read More
After three years in a one gallon pot 18" tall mine bloomed. The scent is like fine chocolate cocoa, delicate but distinct. It has dozens...Read More
I have not grown this plant so I am unable to rate it other than give it a neutral rating. Other common names for this plant include will...Read More
Some other names for this plant are: China inkberry, day cestrum and China berry. It is most commonly found in mMoist and wet forests a...Read More