Originating from Central and South America, the Cestrum belongs to the nightshade family (Solanaceae). Other members of this family include the potato and the tomato. The name for the Cestrum means ‘Red Rain’ on account of its dark red, trumpet-like flowers. These clusters hang at the end of each branch. The branches are covered with dark green, almost velvety leaves. During the summer, the Cestrum produces many long branches with clusters of flowers hanging from them. Sometimes the branches may droop under the heavy weight of the clusters. After flowering, hanging racemes bearing fruit appear.
Where to put the plant on your patio or balcony
Place the Cestrum in a sunny spot where the plant will remain pleasantly warm for most of the day. Beware direct, bright sunlight which can cause damage to the leaves.
Caring for your Cestrum
The Cestrum likes to be watered generously during the summer. Giving your plant copious amounts of water on a daily basis will not do any harm and you should certainly never let the potting soil dry out. The Cestrum has a long abundant flowering period and as a result, this patio plant needs to be planted in a rich potting soil. Regular feeding will also benefit the production of the dark red flowers. Faded flowers should ideally be removed in order to encourage flowering. If you leave the flowers on the plant, hanging racemes bearing fruit will appear.
One thing that you should note: all parts of the Cestrum are poisonous. Although you will not immediately become unwell or require a doctor if you come into contact with the plant, you should be careful if small children are around. The best thing to do is to keep the Cestrum out of their reach. That is the only drawback with this star plant which also blooms superbly.