The historic botanical garden of La Concepción in Malaga has chosen Cestrum x cultum as its plant of the month for January which is currently in flower. It is a hybrid cross between Cestrum elegans and Cestrum parqui and has pink or purplish flowers.
The genus Cestrum has about 170 species of shrubs native to Mexico. The most common species is Cestrum nocturnum, better known to most as dama de noche or lady of the night (the perfume of the flowers is stronger at dusk).
Although Cestrum x cultum is not fragrant, it is a stunning plant with arching branches weighed down by racemes of tubular flowers at the ends of the stems.
One of its parents, Cestrum elegans, is lightly scented and has dark red flowers. It will grow up to about three meters in height and is a good plant for informal hedging, cottage garden style plantings, patios and as a specimen plant in a large container.
It is not resistant to frost and will need some protection in the winter if the temperature drops below freezing. Once established, it will withstand some drought, although watering at least twice a week in the summer will keep it healthier.
C. elegans needs free draining soil, it will rot if left to sit in water. A liquid food in autumn and spring is recommended and in mild climates it can bloom all year round.
Cestrum elegans can be grown in coastal gardens, as it tolerates many salty winds. In any case, it needs a little shade in the hot summer afternoons to prevent scorching.
Propagation is by seeds or cuttings, but if the parent plant is a hybrid, the seeds are unlikely to come true; cuttings taken in spring or summer are a better way to produce identical plants. Use gloves when handling this plant as the sap is an irritant and all parts of it are poisonous if consumed.
It can be pruned to maintain a compact shape if it is used for hedging, etc., but otherwise it is best left to develop the elegant arch of stems that are a characteristic of this plant.
